


Sparked from the Heart

by Apricots_from_Nara



Series: Sparked [2]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Childbirth, Dysfunctional Relationships, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mech Preg, Medical Procedures, Minor Character Death, Mpreg, Oral Sex, Past Rape/Non-con, Power Play, Rough Sex, Sexual Assault, Spark Bond, Sparklings, Sticky Sexual Interfacing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-11
Updated: 2015-03-03
Packaged: 2018-03-11 15:09:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 66,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3330470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apricots_from_Nara/pseuds/Apricots_from_Nara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ratchet is approached by Chromedome and Rewind and learns they wish to try for a sparkling, he can't help but feel like the Lost Light is again veering onto the course of chaos. Soon several of the other crew members are sparked and he can only hope nothing goes wrong.</p>
<p>Edit: There have been some minor rewrites to a few chapters. Mostly chapter 12.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is my first really long story. **It's an Rp I had with the user[Bubonicc](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Bubonicc/pseuds/Bubonicc). I have been trying to rearrange everything but but there is only so much I can rearrange. Believe me when I say what you are reading now is much more legible then when it was first posted into a word document.**
> 
> It is an AU where basically everything up to Megatron's joining of the crew takes place, save for Overlord getting loose on the ship (so Rewind is still alive).
> 
> I would like to thank another friend of mine, Cynthia, for the title. It was eluding me and she gave me a title so easily.

“You want to what?!”

Ratchet could handle a lot of things. Having to be on the same ship as Megatron was fine, Drift begging to have a quicky in a storage closet was acceptable (also rather pleasant all things considered), but being asked if ‘having a sparkling’ was acceptable was really pushing it.

Chromedome and Rewind stood before him, “Why would you want a sparkling on this ship? We had a damned hostage situation months ago and a plague outbreak! Then Tyrest happened. And finally the former leader of the decepticons is walking around here!”

“I hear Fort Max is doing better.” Chromedome said matter-of-factly, looking down at Rewind.

“Oh yes I bet he is. I’m sure he just got right over everything. Rung is a miracle worker after all. Whirl is certainly no longer trying to solve his issues with violence.” Ratchet said sarcastically as he tossed his data pad on the table.

"Ratchet..." Chromedome interrupted him, putting one hand on Rewind’s shoulder. "We are serious about this..." The only thing to show any kind of emotion on Chromedome was his voice, since his optics and mouth were both covered. 

"We would really like to have one... or two. We will see what happens." He glanced down at Rewind, almost as if smiling at him in hopes they would have twins. "Besides... haven't you had any by now?" He looked up at Ratchet, it was no secret him and Drift got around. Not with all the noise they would make some night cycles. 

"Yeah... Rewind rubbed under his chin. We figured you would know more about it... and if my body can carry one. Or if Chromedome should be the one to have them." Bumping Chromedome with his elbow, he chuckled. "Please Ratchet..." The little memory stick begged.

Ratchet’s face flushed, his face contorting in a scowl. “Drift and I take precautions. Unlike half the damned ship. I’m surprised the captain isn’t sparked yet.” He tapped his servo, letting out a long vent as he thought about the quicky in the closet. He shook his head.

“Its not my choice whether you have sparkling or not. Its yours. This isn’t a warship after all.” He looked Rewind over. He was sturdy enough. The last scans had indicated a strong spark despite his age. Slender, but it wasn’t like he was trying to have a sparkling with someone who was the size of the Magnus armor. “You should be able to handle a sparkling just fine Rewind. Twins would be pushing it though. Not that there is a choice in the matter. If that happens it happens.”

He leaned forward. “How ever, this ship is a mad house. Take that into consideration. Other wise do what you want. If you decide to be sparked, come see me and I will brief you on what to do to make sure it grows healthily.”

"Precautions...." Rewind elbowed Domey and snorted, having heard their quickly earlier he had recorded most of the noise they made. Something he would snip into a montage of all the crew members doing things they were not supposed to and add it to his archive forever. 

Rewind looked up at Chromedome before he seemed to vibrate in place. "We are ready! We are ready!" Rewind launched himself forwards, yanking on Ratchet’s arm. "Please!" He begged and kept pulling until Chromedome put a hand on his shoulder and moved him back.

"I agree with Rewind. We are ready Ratchet. We have already talked things though. We know it's hell here but it's better than living on a planet ruled by Starscream." He laughed softly before putting both of his hands on his minibot’s shoulders. "Tell us what we need to know and we will do what you say.

“Don’t mention Starscream to me, or ever. I doubt Megatron would appreciate it.” Ratchet muttered, rubbing his optics.

He sighed. It was against his better judgment, but they had a point about Cybertron not begin the best place either. And the joy Rewind was showing was a bit infectious.

“The act is simple enough. You interface as usual, however, you will also need to merge sparks. Its more likely to take if you are in a heat.” Ratchet explained, “The frame will form from the transfluid, so you will need to interface regularly to make sure it forms properly. Two times a week is my recommendation.”

His face hardened. “You will need to check up with me and First Aid every few months once you’ve been sparked. No skimping out.”

Turning back to Chromedome, Rewind jumped in excitement, grabbing his counterparts hand and yanking him along. 

"Come on Domey! We have work to do~!" He sang, all too pleased with himself that his old frame was still in good enough condition to house a sparkling. "Come on come on!~"

"Alright, Alright..." Chromedome followed him, tightening his larger hand over that little one. "Thank's Ratchet. I'll make sure to keep in touch with you, don't worry." Not like the Ship was the size of a planet, it was hard to avoid anybody anyway. As they left, Chromdome watched Rewind skip down the hall and slide around the corner singing to himself with joy. "Calm down Rewind....sheesh..." Chromedome walked at his usual pace.

Rewind turned, practically vibrating with joy. “Calm down? Domey, I’m going to be a carrier! And you a sire!” He put his hand over his lower torso, sighing dreamily, “I always wanted this, but it never felt right... With all that Functionist scrap, I didn’t want that for them.”

Rewind looked up at Chromedome, at his Conjunx Endura. “Plus, I didn’t have you around yet.” He laughed, “I hope you don’t mind if I record it. Not that you have a say in the matter.”

He took Chromedome’s hand and pulled him along, back to their hab-suite, his hands shaking.

"I know you're excited but I can't have you hoping all over the place when I'm trying to stick my spike in you." He joked but followed his little lover until they stood in the middle of their room. Chromedome let his little hand go and got some energon for him. "Here, at least fuel up before we start." 

Handing a half full glass to Rewind he sighed and waited. "I know you have been recording our sessions Rewind, there is a big red light stuck to the side of your face when your camera is on." Sliding his own faceplate back, he downed a glass of energon himself before climbing onto the berth and laying on his back. 

"Ride me tonight." Patting his thighs, his optics glistened under his visor. Not that he wouldn't change it up half way through, but he loved watching Rewind drop down onto him.

“You caught me.” Rewind said teasingly, his own mask pulling back so he could refuel, “I like watching them when I have nothing else to do.”

He nearly tossed the empty cube aside, crawling on the berth and settling on Chromedome’s hips. His interface panel popped aside instantly, valve already dripping lubricants and spike pressurizing. He had been in a heat for a day already, which was why they had gone to Ratchet in the first place.

Rewind was an old bot. He already knew how to create a sparkling (even if he never had before), still Chromedome wanted the go ahead from Ratchet fist. “Come on Domey.” He ground his valve against the larger mechs interface panel, moaning loudly, “I don’t think I’ve merged with you for a good three years.”

Chromedome grunted, his panel snapping back and his spike sliding between Rewind’s valve lips, coating himself in his lubricants. "Mhm~" Spike twitching upwards, he reached down and helped position it to nose into his little bots valve. "Don't rush...you're going to hurt yourself." He let out a loud vent before slowly lowering Rewind onto himself. 

Spike pulsing as it pushed the mesh apart, Chromedome’s faceplate turned red and his fans kicked on high instantly. Primus he was incredible. Sitting him down on his hips, he wiggled a bit, shivering when he felt the valve ripple in response to his spike. It was warm and slick with heat, which made it much easier for him to slide out and bump back into him. 

"I'm going to fill that little valve of yours until you can't fit anymore." Visor brightening, he pumped his hips up slightly harder.

Rewind let out a staticy moan, his spike twitching as Chromedome thrust upwards. The red light of his camera switching on. He looked down, leaning back so he could record Chromedome’s spike sliding inside of him. “Ohhh, its in, its in.” he sang softly, beginning to rock his hips in wide circles.

He braced his peds on either side of Chromedome’s hips, beginning to lift himself up and down. “Its gotta go in deep so the chamber can be filled.” he said, slamming down rather hard, his voice glitching out.

He continued that hard thrust downward, his vizor blazing brightly. He leaned forward, his chestplate clicking open and folding back, exposing his spark chamber. “Oh Domey.. I love you.”

Chromedome gasped with each hard thrust. One hand firmly planted on the little hip while his other based the berth tightly for support. He was panting hard, arching his back. Something about Rewind self narrating what was happening turning him on even more. 

"Ah... Don't stop Rewind." He choked out before pushing his spike in deeper, knocking his ceiling node with no problem at all. "Oh Primus Rewind, your valve is perfect. You're perfect." His own chestplate popped open with a loud hiss, his spark glistening as it folded back. Pulling out two wires, he drew them up and plugged them into Rewind, starting the Spark merge. Both of their minds collided together and they floated on a cloud of sweet sweet bliss. 

"I love...nng...! You too Rewind." Reaching up with the hand that had been clamped on the berth, he stroked Rewind’s cheek lovingly.

The mini-bot sighed softly, his thrusts pausing only a moment to savor the rarely experienced connection. He nodded at Chromedome’s pleas to not stop, quickly moving again with renewed vigor.

Rewind nuzzled Chromedome’s hand, his body shaking heavily. “I know. I can feel it Domey.” he moved his hips faster, lubricants smearing thickly on his thighs, “Sparklings Domey... You will be such a good sire. I just know it.”

Rewind gave one finally hard downward jerk, overloading with a wail as his gestation chamber was penetrated. He sat there, his valve wildly convulsing, encouraging Chromedome to overload inside him.

Chromedome gasped and twisted. His spike twitched inside of Rewind, spurting a hot stream of his transfluid into the minibot’s chamber. Since he was twice his size, it filled him to the point his abdomen bloated slightly. 

"Ahh...haaa...." Squirming a bit, he continued to push his spike up into him, not letting any the transfluid seep out from inside of him until his chamber convulsed and closed. "Oh Primus Rewind." Trembling as waves of overload crashed over him, he squeezed the minibot. "Frag thats good." Pulling out an inch, he bumped back in a few times before pulling out all together and pulling Rewind down by his side. 

With their sparks still connected, Chromedome stroked the side of Rewind’s faceplate, feeling his overload though their spark connection. It tingled down his spine and caused heat to swell in his groin as his spike slowly deflated and slipped back into its housing. "You okay?" He asked, sounding out of breath as he pulled him close to his open chest.

Rewind savored the last few thrusts the larger mech gave, moaning softly as he felt his chamber fill up with transfluid. “Ohhhh... That feels amazing.”

Rewind was sure to quickly close his interface panel to ensure nothing leaked out. He shivered, rubbing the bulge gently. He looked up at Chromedome, his visor bright. “I’m better then okay. I’m amazing.” 

He watched Chromedome’s spark pulse and spin, the sight soothing and hypnotic. He let his hand hover over it, feeling the charge caress it. He regretfully pulled his hand away, gently unplugging the wires from his own spark. The connection was severed, though he could still feel the phantom tingles.

“How about you? Feel good?”

A loud vent and Chromedome closed his chassis and yanked Rewind tight against him. Nuzzling the little mech, he let his engines purr.

"I feel amazing." Bumping Rewind’s forehead in his form of a kiss, he chuckled. "Soon that lump won't be transfluid." He rubbed it, dipping his servos into seams he could fit them into. "A few more nights of this and I'm sure you will spark in no time." Another bump and Chromedome dimmed his visor, recharge creeping up on him.

“I’m glad. I like it when you’re happy.” Rewind cooed, his own chestplate clicking back into place. He tucked his face into Chromedome’s neck, nuzzling the cables gently.

“No it won’t. It will be our sparkling.” He rested his hand over the larger one, his thumb running along the back, “Hmmm, I look forward to doing more of that.” His visor dimmed also, his venting beginning to even out as he fell into recharge.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a bit of drinking Cyclonus wishes to show Tailgate how he feels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter includes Cyclonus being drunk, and sex.

Tailgate wasn’t at Swerve’s.

That was not a huge issue, even if they had a lesson. Cyclonus could handle being alone. Still, it would have been nice for him to be there to tell him to ‘ease up on the engex’. Swerve certainly didn’t cut him off.

He had been feeling... Sentimental. Thinking of Cybertron, and that often left him drinking more then he needed. And so, here he was, using the wall for support to make it back to the hab-suite, having far more then just a slight buzz.

He opened the door to the hab-suite, seeing little Tailgate laying on his berth reading. “We were supposed to practice your old vernacular.” he said softly, stepping into the room so the door could close behind him.

Tailgate sat up, setting his data pad to the side. Watching the larger mech stagger about for a bit, he waited for him to still before speaking up.

"I'm sorry Cyclonus...I wasn't feeling myself so I decided to stay in and catch up on these... Uh, comics! Swerve calls them that. Earth things he has and let me borrow." His fans where humming lowly, signaling his frame was hot, but he didn't seem to pay much attention to it. 

"You okay?" He scooted over on the berth, patting the side of it in a gesture for Cyclonus to come and sit by him. "Want to read some of these?" Not that Cyclonus would be interested but he could at least try.

Cyclonus sat next to Tailgate, finding his heat very pleasant. He wrapped an arm around the minibot, leaning down to kiss the top of his head.

“No. I don’t want to read. But I want to be close to you.” He tilted Tailgate’s head back, placing a kiss on his faceplate next, “You smell very nice.” Cyclonus picked him up, setting him further up on the berth and clumsily crawling over him.

“Sing.” Cyclonus ordered, his lips trailing down lower, and lower, until they caressed the seams of Tailgate’s interface array. The minibot was very warm here, and he could already smell the lubricants through the paneling.

Tailgate stared at him, a little confused. "Ah... okay." His faceplate heated when Cyclonus kissed him. Visor brightening a bit, he tilted his head to the side. "I smell nice?" He hadn't changed the cleanser he was using in the washrack.

Allowing himself to be laid down, he watched Cyclonus carefully, his fans now blasting out hot air as he squirmed. When asked to sing he hesitated before starting to hum softy then sing out in a quiet tone. When he felt Cyclonus' lips graze his interfacing panel his intake caught and he choked out the next verse of lines. 

"C-Cyclonus..." He stopped the singing, looking down at the larger mech. "I feel really strange." Unable to help another squirm, his hatch opened without him even commanding it to. "Ah~!" He tried to sit up, his processor hazy. He really wanted to frag Cyclonus. More then normal. It was like he was being consumed with the thought of it.

“Calm down Tailgate.” Cyclonus growled, “We’ve done this before. Its no different then last time.” Though in the back of Cyclonus’ mind he was aware things were a bit different. Tailgate didn’t smell the same. A voice nagged at him to be cautious, but he was too overcharged to really care.

His glossa slowly traced around Tailgate’s valve, lapping up the lubricants that were already seeping. He lips latched around his outer node, sucking softly.

Cyclonus slid in a servo, curling it against every node it could reach, dragging it out slowly. He drank up the new wave of lubricants that flowed out, before finally burring his face into the moist folds and sucking.

Tailgate shuddered, gasping and letting out small yelps every time his outer node was touched. It swelled quickly, and his valve lips pulsed. He spread his legs, eager for cyclonus to continue. Even if he was feeling a bit unsure about how it felt.

"B-But Cyclonus, " He was panting hard, "it feels different." The pleasure was amplified and his valve ached harder for Cyclonus than it usually did. Unable to stop himself, he spoke through a wave of static. 

"F-Frag me?" He blushed a deep red, grabbing one of Cyclonus' horns and grinding against his face. "Oh~!" He arched, crying out at the sudden curl of the servo that caused his visor to burst with light. "Nng! C-Cyclonus please!"

Cyclonus sat up, licking his lips slowly. “Hmm, you don’t need to ask twice.” He moved back up, leaving a trail of kisses as he moved upwards. His interface panel slide aside, his spike pressurizing.

He prodded Tailgate’s valve, purposefully missing so he just slid against his outer node. He smirked, continuing to tease the minibot. Tailgate could never take teasing well. He just rubbed against the swelling node, a servo toying with the little spike. 

“On second thought, I want you to beg.” Cyclonus hissed, “Or I won’t give you what you want.”

"P-please Cyclonus! Please." He sobbed, latching his little hands onto his chestplate and tugging. His hips lurched up, pushing into the large spike. "Please frag me! I-I can't wait!" His squirming intensified, and he started to get anxious. 

"Cyclonus please, please." He felt a large glob of lubricant gush out of his valve, trickling down his legs and staining the berth under him. Bumping his head against Cyclonus, he nuzzled into him, whimpering. 

"Please Cyclonus it hurts, please spike me, it hurts without it in there." His valve clenched on itself and he spread himself with his servos, “Come on you jerk, get to it already!” He was getting impatient. He really needed this. 

“Very good, Tailgate.” taking his spike in hand, Cyclonus slowly inched his way inside the eager valve, letting out a low rumble as he felt the mesh convulse around him as it was parted. He would ignore the snippy ‘jerk’ comment. It was honestly cute.

He sat up once he could go no further, hands gripping Tailgate’s slim waste and pulling him roughly against him. He rocked his hips forward, pressing hard against Tailgate’s ceiling node. “You feel amazing. Primus...”

There was so much he wanted to tell Tailgate. But he had always been rather... Poor at words. His thrusts grew rougher as he tried to find a way he could tell him, better yet show him.

“Open your chassis Tailgate, show me your spark. I want to show you something.”

Tailgate cried out, sobbing in pleasure as his overloaded as soon as the spike touched the top of his valve. His little spike twitching and spurting a small stream of transfluid while his valve rippled in delight. Still flaming hot, he pushed hard against Cyclonus, wanting more and more.

It took him a while to register the request, but his chestplate parted and his bright little spark shown though at the purple mech. "Don't stop, please don't stop. I’ll hit you if you stop I swear!" Coolant tears leaked out of the bottom of his visor. Letting out a loud vent, he watched Cyclonus closely with his exposed spark.

“I won’t stop Tailgate. I promise.” Cyclonus whispered, a hand reaching up to hover over the swirling spark. To think that it almost went out. He looked around the chamber, Tailgate’s innermost energon still that sickly green. He wondered if it would ever return to normal.

As his hips still rocked, his chestplate pulled away, his own spark exposed. He had not shown his spark to another in a long time, not since before his time in the dead universe.

“I want to show you.” Cyclonus whispered, taking out cables and oh so carefully linking their sparks. He began to pour in everything he felt. His feeling of despair when Tailgate told him he had was dying, his devotion to protect, the love he felt for the tiny bot below him.

He resumed his hard thrusts, his optics blazing a bright red. He was going to overload soon, his overcharge dampening his self-control. He gave a very deep thrust, feeling like he pierced something. His gestation chamber probably.

As the emotions flooded Tailgate, he let out a loud whimper, the coolant tears streaking down his face. Cyclonus really did care for him, and his spark pulsed back at him, flooding him with just as much love and devotion.

"C-Cyclonus." His voice was hazy as his little frame bounced with each thrust. Visor burning out, he overloaded again when he felt Cyclonus go in so deep, his back arching up and their chests bumping slightly as he howled. The overload so intense his frame jerked under him. 

"Ah-ha!~" Wrapping both arms around Cyclonus' head, he held on. His valve clamping down on that spike with a vice grip, making him gasp and choke with pleasure. "Mm!" His spike shot another stream of transfluid. "I-I-I L-L-Lov-e-e-e y-you C-Cyclon-us" Vocalizer glitching with each thrust after overload, his frame fell back hard.

Cyclonus let out a choked groan, the voice in the back of his head pleading he pull out. It wasn’t right, something was wrong with Tailgate and he knew what it was. But he ignored it again, giving a few more deep thrusts before he overloaded right into the chamber.

He embraced all the emotions Tailgate gave back to him, his spark throbbing as he put it to memory. He would never forget all that love he felt. He held the tiny bot close. “I love you too.” he said it so quietly he doubted Tailgate would hear him, but it didn’t matter.

Cyclonus collapsed on his side, detaching the cables with an unsteady hand. Once his spark was again shut off from the world, his hand lazily rubbed the bulge on Tailgate’s middle. “Sorry... Should feel a bit full for a while...”

Tailgate’s chassis closed and he let out a loud vent. He looked at peace and the red tint on his face faded back to the pale white it had always been. Looking satisfied, he lazily rolled onto his side and pushed against Cyclonus as tightly as he could. Burying his little face into his neck he giggled. 

"It feels nice." He blushed again before shifting. "I like when you do that." Sometimes Cyclonus would pull out and overload onto his chestplate, causing quite the mess for him to clean up, but when he overloaded inside of him he felt warm and fuzzy and it made him happy all over. 

"Do you feel better?" He asked, his visor dimming as he let out another vent, almost a yawn. "Are you sure you don't want to read any of these comics?" He fished around for the data pad before bringing it between the two of them, starting to scroll though it and read again.

Cyclonus kissed the top of Tailgate’s head, his optics dim. “I’ll do it more then.” he muttered, his arms wrapping around the minibot.

“Maybe another time. I need to recharge.” His words were slurred now, the exhaustion and overcharge taking its tole, “And I should be asking you that. You were the one saying it hurt to not have my spike.”

He chuckled, shuttering his optics and offlining them. Letting out a rumbling sigh he fell into recharge.

Nuzzling into him once more, Tailgate watched him doze off. The sound of his breathing lulling him as he read on. Over time his own visor dimmed and he set it down and snuggled close. The heat from his frame combined with the sexual exhaustion nearly made him offline instantly.

"Recharge well." He whispered before he slipped into recharge himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a bit of a stressful day, Drift and Ratchet role-play in the back room of the medbay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some medical role-play and sticky sex for this chapter.

“You will not believe the day I’ve had.” Ratchet grumbled, looking over his shoulder as Drift entered the med-bay. “People on this ship are looney. I feel like I’m the only one who’s sane.” Not entirely true of course, Hoist was sane enough. Happy, cheerful. He needed to mingle with him more.

“First, Rewind and Chromedome wanted a sparkling, then Whirl had gotten into a drunken brawl and I had to weld five people up.” He huffed, “Then Brainstorm thought it would be smart to test a new weapon in his lab and I had to reattach his servos.”

He let out a long vent, turning around to face the speedster. “How about you? I hope you didn’t have to listen to Ultra Magnus give a long speech.”

Drift shrugged, walking around the medic before sitting on his desk and leaning back. He smiled at him, trying not to laugh at the thought of Brainstorm blowing his servos off. 

"Maybe I should teach you to meditate...find your inner compass." No way, Ratchet was too quick to temper and too busy to just sit around and quiet his mind. At least not with the ship in the order it was in. How Magnus wasn't already insane really was a mystery. 

"Maybe a nice soak in the washracks will do you good." He laid back on the desk staring at the ceiling. "I'm sure there are other ways to blow off some of that steam." Drift was the only bot in the ship who had 24 hour libido. "You can play doctor on me if you like." He didn't look up, instead he just listened to Ratchet’s hard vents.

Ratchet cracked a smirk, looking up at Drift. “That stuff is more your thing, kid. I have my own ways to relax, believe it or not.” He leaned back, optics looking over Drift slowly. He was getting to something. Wouldn’t be sitting on his desk otherwise.

“A good soak would be nice...” Ratchet muttered under his breath, watching Drift lay back on his desk. He huffed. “Though I see a soak isn’t what you were talking about. I guess that merge isn’t going to be enough for today?”

He rested his hands on Drift’s shapely thighs, kneading them. “Play doctor? I could certainly do that.”

Drift had offlined his optics, just listening to the CMO before he smirked. Lazily he swung his legs of the side of the desk and kept swinging. 

"Maybe later we can play in the washracks." His optics dimmed online and he propped himself up on his elbows, watching Ratchet. A soft groan escaped him, his thighs and hips the one of the most sensitive areas on his frame other than his finials. "Sounds good to me." A breathy gasp and he lay back down. "It hurts all over doc, gonna have to check everything out." He gave a smirk as his fans kicked on.

“Hmm. Maybe. If you’re up for more.” Ratchet leaned down, his lips lightly caressing the thin metal before he stood up. They were in a back room of the medbay, where all the records were stored. They would be fine here.

“You don’t say? I’ll have to give you a thorough examination then.” He rubbed Drift’s thighs a bit more before sliding up his frame, dipping into seams along the way, “Does it hurt here?” he ran a servo over a finial, toying with it gently before giving it a firmer rub.

Ratchet’s other hand joined, running along the speedster’s chassis and neck, before running a servo over his lips.

Drift let out a light gasp, arching off of the desk slightly. White faceplate turning pink as his optics closed half way. Drift would do anything for Ratchet as long as he just rubbed his finials like that forever.

"Ah~ Yeah, hurts pretty bad right there." He pushed into his touch, his legs finally stopping their swinging and parting slightly. The servo that ran over his lips he kissed before taking into his mouth and sucking on it lightly. Both of his blue optics glistened when he looked up at Ratchet. A fire of lust and desire burned in them and he let him know by swirling his glossa around the servos.

The medic’s face flushed, watching Drift’s mouth on his servos. The kid was really good with his mouth. Ratchet knew first hand. His mouth went dry as he began to move his servo in and out of Drift’s mouth, emulating a rather... lewd activity.

“Hmm, how about the other one?” he moved his attention to the other finial, rubbing it much the same way. Ratchet smirked as Drift let out another moan, his back arching again, “There too? I’m going to have to look into this.”

His hand left Drift’s head, trailing back down his frame to tweak a few wires. “Tell me, Drift, where does it hurt most?” he put on a professional facade.

Drift whined when his finials were left alone and he squirmed, though his composure returned at the plucking of his wires. Sucking slightly harder on the servo, he grazed his denta on them, letting out a low rumble.

His hips twitched when Ratchet pulled a wire. Drift stopped messing with his servo as his optics rolled into the back of his head. A deep groan escaped him and he kicked the side of the desk. Twisting, he slipped the servo from his mouth and gasped. 

"Getting closer." Getting back up on his elbows, he watched those talented servos work him over. His medical experience really livened up their interfacing from time to time. Knowing every spot that would make Drift beg for him, he would pluck it and pull it until Drift was a mess. HIs interfacing array was already boiling and his tank turned with anticipation. "Lower Doc."

Both hands soon joined the journey downwards, Ratchet stopping at Drift’s waist to dig servos into the seams. He rubbed a well known cluster of wires, tugging on them gently. 

“That low enough for you?” Ratchet asked, knowing he was a bit off. He strummed the wires, letting out a short laugh as Drift arched heavily off the table, “You’re rather tense here. I’ll have to rub away all the knots.”

He continued his teasing, pucking and rolling the wires between his servos. He intended to sate Drift’s libido for at least a few days. He wasn’t as young as he used to be, and he really couldn’t handle interfacing every damned day. Wether if just be a simple spark merge or something more intense. Drift on the bottom, or on top.

He hated being old sometimes.

Shivering, Drift smirked his face bright red as he let out a light laugh. Pushing his hips into Ratchet he raised his brows. Though when Ratchet rubbed all of his knots out it felt incredible. He wished he would do it more often after missions. 

"Ratchet~ Stop teasing me." A pout that only lasted a few seconds before more wire pulling had him moaning again, and with a loud hiss and pop his interface array opened. Though he didn't let his spike out right away, instead he just displayed his shimmering and glossy valve. 

"It hurts down there the most." A wink, and a loud vent. "Please doctor..." Unsure about how much Ratchet really would take it, he just continued being a terrible patient.

Ratchet let out an amused hum, one of this hands leaving the seams to ghost along the edge of Drift’s valve. “Teasing? I told you I had to give you a thorough examination. I don’t know what you mean by teasing.” 

Scrap the kid was blazing hot there. He continued to massage along the rim of the valve, not quite touching anything that could be considered sensitive. His other hand soon held Drift’s hips down, keeping him from thrusting against his servos.

Finally he let a servo brush against the outer node, slowly petting it along the side. “How’s that? Is the pain easing up?” He looked up at Drift’s face, his own array almost snapping open at the dazed look he was getting.

Drift arched again, his hips flattening on the desk before he looked up at Ratchet. Once his valve was grazed he flopped back down and flexed his platting. His valve clenched on nothing, gushing out a glob of lubricant, showing Ratchet how ready he was for him.

"Thorough...." Draping an arm over his face, he let out a loud sigh. "come on Doc, you can do better." He ate his words when his outer node was touched and he jerked, his legs kicking slightly. "Okay! Y-yeah!" A loud whine and he peaked out from under his arm. "Pain?" A loud laugh. "Keep going doc... don't stop... please." Parting his legs even more, he wiggled his aft at Ratchet.

“Alright alright.” the medic vented, using his free hand to maneuver Drift to put his peds on the table, “I thought you wanted to role play.” He took the speedster’s outer node between his servos, rolling it between them. 

The servo’s of his other hand soon joined, two of them sliding inside of the quivering valve. He rubbed back and forth over every node in reach. He moved so he was standing between Drift’s legs, his interface array opening with a hiss.

He removed his hands long enough to pull Drift closer to the edge of the table. “Hold your legs to your chest.” Ratchet rather liked how Drift looked when he did that.

"I do, I do want too..." He gasped when his outer node was suddenly attacked. "Gah!~ Primus!" he closed his optics and twisted on the desk, one hand grabbing his own finial, something he often did when Ratchet didn't play with them while he worked. 

Drift let out a loud groan, his chassis heaving as pleasure washed over him. Now that was more like it. Nothing like a medic’s hand working you over. His valve couldn't hide how much it loved the attention. Rippling and clamping down, sucking those servos in deeper. "Nng!!" Biting his bottom lip, Drift gasped when the servos suddenly vanished. Hiking his legs up the way Ratchet asked, he waited. "Am I ill doctor?" A drunken smile was smeared on his faceplate.

Scrap. Here came the part Ratchet had the hardest time with. The dreaded dirty talk. He wasn’t good at that. He thought over what to say far longer then he should have. “Oh, very ill.” he finally said, taking his spike in hand. He pressed to the valve lips, prodding them, “You’re going to need a nice dose of medicine.”

Slowly, ever so slowly he eased in, the mesh parting for him, practically sucking him in. The kid really knew how to work his valve. “And this is the only way I can give it to you.” he jerked his hips back, then slammed them forward

Drift giggled into his hand before shifting on the desk. Ratchet was terrible at dirty talking, and he knew, thus why he always wanted it. 

"Give it to me..." A breathy gasp when his valve was prodded and he arched a bit, his platting rippling and his valve pulsing in a needy manner. Gushing lubricant around Ratchet’s spike, it welcomed him into the heat eagerly. 

"Please..." He jerked up, mouth gaping at the hard thrust. Bright blue optics burst white and he wailed. "AH~! Ratchet!" One of his legs slid off the desk but he was quick to put it back. "Yes! Yes! More please! More!" He roared baring his denta at the CMO.

“Oh don’t laugh. I thought I finally came up with a good one.” Ratchet muttered, his face turing a light pink. He placed one hand on the table, the other on a really nice looking thigh, giving himself leverage as he began to thrust.

Primus Drift was loud. He had half a mind to tell him to keep quiet least they be found out. But at the same time, it was really nice to know he made him feel so good. “Don’t worry, I’ll give you all you need.”

The hand on Drift’s thigh moved to his finials, and Ratchet practically groaned as Drift spasmed around him. “Dear Primus kid, you are perfect.” he hissed, his thrusts growing faster and deeper, slamming against his ceiling node.

Drift just kept smiling at him, always enjoying teasing his medic. He moved with Ratchet, allowing him to get a better position on him before settling. The first thrust made him cry out in pure delight, his legs kicking.

"Ah~" His frame bounced with each thrust and his platting knocked against Ratchet’s. Even though his dirty talk wasn't the best, it still revved his engines. Valve clamping down on Ratchet’s spike, pulsing against the metal. It quivered and rippled when the ceiling node was struck, and Drift jerked up and screamed. 

"Ah, R-Ratchet... right there." His hips shifted under the medic so he would keep striking the area. Ratchet’s spike was a perfect fit for him.

“I got you.” Ratchet whispered, leaning down and kissing Drift. His hands shifted on the speedster’s hips, too keep the angle constant.

He stuffed a few servos in Drift’s mouth, trying to keep him quiet. He could hear First Aid in the main room. “You’re going to get me an earful, kid if you don’t be quiet.” He groaned as Drift began to suck on his servos again.

A few more jerky thrusts and Ratchet overloaded, cursing under his breath. “Getting too old for this...”

Drift kissed back, smiling at the affection when Ratchet pulled away. He giggled softly, hauling one leg up and hooking it onto Ratchet’s hip as he thrust into him.

"Mhm~" Drift tried to say something as he sucked on the servos. his glossa swirled around the digits and he let out a loud vent. Trying to make it as sexual as he could, he groaned and made loud and lewd suckling noises before his hips jerked. Overload forced his body to stiffen, and he arched up into Ratchet. Their chestplates tapped together before Drift’s spike shot a stream of transfluid onto his own belly and chest. Inside his valve milked Ratchet for every drop he had, gripping his spike with a death hold, it rippled and relaxed after a moment. 

Drift’s chassis was heaving as his fans clicked down, and he fell back. "Not like he hasn't caught us before." Grabbing the back of Ratchet’s neck, he pulled the CMO down and kissed him again. Pulling back he nuzzled into his neck, purring in after glow. "You're not too old for me."

“I still don’t like getting caught.” Ratchet mumbled, kissing Drift back before going back to his chair and sitting down with a groan. His panel slid back into place with a soft his.

After a few moments the CMO stood, grabbing a rag and wiping Drift’s frame off. He paid close attention to him, until he nearly spotless. He pat his lover’s thighs gently. “You may still need a good rinse, but you won’t be covered in transfluid anymore.”

Though Drift looked really good covered in it. Not that he would ever say that out loud. 

"So I'm gonna make it?" He joked, sitting up and stretching, his valve cover closing. "I'm in perfect health?" Going over to Ratchet in his chair, he sat on his lap and leaned on him, optics dimming. "Join me in the washrack later?" He offlined his optics, wanting to take a nap on his medic. "Just for a wash..." He quickly added. "When was the last time you had help washing your seams. Bet it would do your joints some good." Opening an optic, he looked up at him and laughed. 

After a while Drift get out of the medics lap before he threw him out, already knowing Ratchet was going to say how busy he was. Making his way to the door he looked over his shoulder and blew him as kiss before leaving. Making sure to swing his hips in the most seductive way he could.

“You sure are. The dosage should be enough to cure you.” Ratchet said, chuckling. he ran his hand up and down Drift’s spinal struts, “A good power wash does sound nice. I usually have to wash myself. Some help would be a good change.”

He watched Drift go, rolling his optics as the speedster made a show of it. Honestly, make it all the more obvious to First Aid why he was back there.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rung feels a bit different, and has a startling revelation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for this chapter is a brief mention of the option of termination. Nothing comes of it though.

Rung had been feeling a bit different lately.

Not to say he didn’t already. He was sad so say he had failed as a psychoanalyst. He had failed Fortress Maximus. The mech needed a therapist. Not a lover. It wasn’t good to interface with patients. A tender touch of comfort had turned into a full blown relationship.

Sure some would scold the fact he even mingled with them. But it was hard to avoid anyone on this ship. It wasn’t a planet. The scorn would be more heavy on the fact Rung was interfacing with a mech that had taken him hostage. Shoved a gun in his face and ripped off his thumb. Even he himself would scorn such an action.

But here he was.

Max was better though. He slept much more soundly. He had even been moved out of the brig and back into his old hab-suite. He was under constant surveillance, however.

Rung winced slightly, again distracted from his session with Whirl as his spark surged. His servos tapped his favorite model nervously. “I am sorry Whirl, can you repeat yourself. I was... Distracted.”

Whirl stopped his chatter, looked at Rung, and sighed. He was standing on the small berth, claws wide open. They snapped shut and Whirls single optic dimmed before he stepped down and sat. 

"I was telling you about the time Rodimus let us go off ship and I killed the leader of a little alien race with my bare claws." He didn't sound as enthusiastic this time, instead he seemed a little down. "What's got you so..." He swirled his claws around his head. "If I can even ask that of you..." He rubbed one of his font guns before laying back on the berth, the session was almost over anyway, no point in dragging it on longer than it had to be. "Maybe you just need a drink...a hard drink." He snickered to himself before sitting back up. "That'll loosen up your lug nuts."

Whirl had not really talked much more about his past since Fort Max had injured him. Simply going back into his old habit of talking about the things he had done or killed. A very large step back wards. Still, Whirl had... Improved. He and Cyclonus had seemed to patch things up. Though rather loosely. 

Rung smiled. A drink sounded nice. Though not as hard as Whirl had suggested. “Perhaps.” he said, taking a rust stick from the bowl on the table and sucking on the end, “I’m afraid our session is drawing to a close, Whirl. I will see you in a week yes?”

His spark surged again, discomforting enough for him to rest his hand over his chassis. It slid down, over his lower torso, and he felt a bulge. “I may have to postpone the drink however. I think I will need to see Ratchet.”

Whirl started at him in silence, after having revealed how he felt about Rung, he didn't hide concern anymore. Stepping forwards, he extended a parted claw in his direction. At first he didn't say anything, but finally he looked down at the little doctor. At his friend.

"Do you need help....I mean company walking down?" His other claw tapped nervously by his side. "I mean...if you want. You just look worried...Don't want to leave you alone is all." He didn't want to admit he was afraid Fort Max would hurt him again. A part of him had to remain distant from the crew, the last thing he wanted was to go back to that prison, then he would never have a chance to get hands.

Rung stood, setting the model ship to the side. His smile grew a bit wider. “That’s very kind of you to offer, Whirl. Hard to refuse it.” The ex-wrecker still shocked him sometimes.

The lanky mech was a bit worried. He didn’t like to be worried in front of his patients. It caused them unease. Sometimes it even sent them into a panic. But sometimes it was hard to hide. This was one of them. His symptoms were worrying. Oh so worrying.

He walked down the hall, half listening to Whirl chatter about something. He was not really paying attention, too focused on running his hand over the bulge. The med bay door slid open, Rung clearing his throat to get the CMO’s attention.

Whirl didn't go in with him, he simply nodded to Rung, looked at Ratchet as he turned, then left them alone. The door slid shut behind him with a loud hiss, leaving the two alone.

"How can I help you Rung?" Ratchet glanced over his shoulder before returning to his data pad. He was standing over a medical berth, some tools spread out, he must have been taking inventory or at least cleaning them. 

"Feeling alright?" The silence gave it away that Rung was in some sort of distress. He was normally quiet, but never this quiet. "What happened?" He finally turned, walking over him and looked down. Hands on his hips he waited, Rung was one of the only mechs he would be patient with. Normally he would have slapped Drift upside the head and told him to get on with his problem and stop babbling.

Rung had a very good idea of what was wrong. He had been alive for a very long time. He had read many books, even written a few, though never publishing them. The question was, how to say it. It was straight forward enough. But questions that followed were not going to be easy to explain.

And he was not one for lying.

“Well, doctor. I believe I have been...” he paused nervously pulling on his servos, a habit he had picked up watching Fort Max, “I am most certain I have been sparked.”

Ratchet’s entire frame jumped in surprise and he stared down at Rung for what felt like forever. Leaning to the side slightly, his optics wandered over his frame and it became blatantly obvious. His abdomen was slightly swollen, and the cables on his neck were as well. 

"Sit." Ratchet stepped to the side, opening a path to one of the berths. "Let me make sure." A loud vent as he rubbed the bridge of his nose and went to get a few things. He was mumbling to himself for a while before going over to the berth. "I normally don't condone self diagnosis." He said.

Rung sat on the berth, knees pressed tightly together. He was tense. A mech his age carrying could be a hassle. Though if the sparkeater’s hunger for him was any indication, he had a very strong spark. His frame was another matter. He was small, and his partner very large.

“I’m sure you don’t but its always good to be sure, yes?” Rung laid down, tugging his servos again. He knew the process. A scan of his gestation chamber, a look at his spark chamber, “I may have been a bit... absent minded when it came to considering how long the nanites in transfluid can remain viable. So... here I am.”

Ratchet sighed, putting a hand on his shoulder before giving him a gentle smile. His servo pressed to the lines on his neck, feeling them and confirming their swollen nature before he moved down and scanned his chamber. A loud huff before moving back up.

"Should I ask who your partner is? Or are you not going to tell me who it is anyway?" He tapped on Rung’s chest, asking silently for him to open it for him. "Or should I ask if your partner even knows?" A brow went up and he glanced at Rung’s face, though he tried not to make it seem judgmental.

Ratchet’s hand was comforting, and made him more ready to answer hard questions. And Rung would answer truthfully. To avoid any complications. His chassis slowly pulled apart, exposing his spark chamber.

“Fortress Maximus.” Rung said, turning his head away from Ratchet, “He is the sire. And he does not know, as I have only just found out.”

Ratchet’s jaw twitched but he showed no other emotion. His vents sighed hot air down onto him and he just nodded before leaning over and looking at Rung’s spark. Very gently, he dipped his hands in and spread his servos, holding the orb before he felt something close to the back.

"It's here." He said, taking note on how young it was. A sparkling that just formed tended to too occupy the back of the spark for a while before it floated freely. The rest of Rung’s body was just preparing. The Protoform was developing nicely as well now that he examined the scans. Pulling his hands free, he looked at Rung and set his hand back on his shoulder. 

"Are you planning on keeping it? Or are you looking to terminate?" It wasn't his business to push out information on his situation with Fort Max, but the least he could do was ask this.

Rung’s chestplates slid back into place. He sat up rather quickly, frowning at Ratchet. “I can’t just... Not tell him. Not ask what he wants. Thats so... Horrible. Imagine if he found out I terminated and never asked what he wanted.”

Rung looked down at his hands. The were steady, even if he felt so nervous. “It would break him. He sleeps so peacefully now. He really smiles.” he looked up hurriedly at Ratchet, “I’m not implying thats what you mean. But no. For now, I do not want to terminate.”

Truth be told Rung was happy. He slid off the berth. “Thank you, doctor. I was expecting some... Scolding. But I guess Ultra Magnus can do that.” he laughed, “Is that all? I need to speak with Fort Max.”

"Okay, Okay." Ratchet said, raising his hands. "Relax, I just wanted to know how you feel about it. It's important I know what you want as well. If you want to tell Max, that's up to you and it can be both of your decisions....BOTH." 

"Max is still recovering..." He didn't want Rung to be forced to carry because Max was unstable, but if he was willing, then everything was fine. "Just drink high grade infused with more minerals. I already have some being brought to Swerve....Rewind is hoping to have a sparkling himself." 

The CMO followed Rung to the door. "Cut back on appointments, you need rest, don't over work your frame. It can be dangerous for you and the sparkling." Opening the door he walked him out. "Other than that, I'm sure you will be fine. If either you or Max have questions, come to me. And only me." He warned.

“I wouldn’t trust anyone else to over see their growth.” Rung said, feeling a bit more at ease, “And I am aware of Chromedome and Rewind’s desires for a sparkling. They sought my council a month back. Wanted to know if I thought they were emotionally ready.”

Rung didn’t elaborate anymore details. He bid Ratchet goodbye, and, after assuring him he would take fewer sessions each week, he left. Taking the lift up to the level in which Fortress Maximus’ hab-suite was located.

He stood outside the door, ignoring the only guard outside it. After a while, he finally put his hand on the console, punching in the code to open the door. “Maximus? I have something I need to tell you.”

Fortress was standing by the large window, looking out before he turned. His faceplate brightened when he saw Rung but instantly he frowned at his words.

"Is something wrong..." Large shoulders sagged and he moved close to the little mech before placing a large hand on his shoulder. 

"Is something troubling you?" He looked uneasy now. "What is it?" Worried the others had become fearful of him again, he thought Rung was here to tell him he had to go back into his prison cell below the ship. Before Rung could say anything he was already starting to panic. He looked about the room, then back at Rung. "I'm not in trouble am I?"

Rung quickly took Fort Max’s face in his hands, shushing him soothingly. “No, no Max. You’re not in trouble at all.” He rubbed his head, pulling him down to kiss him gently, “I just have some very important news. Life changing.”

He had Maximus sit down, taking his massive hands into his own. He tilted his head to the side, looking thoughtful.

Maximus relaxed at the show of affection and let out a soft sigh of relief. Nodding to Rung, he sat with him on the berth. Squeezing Rung’s hands, he gave a shy smile before listening closely to him. 

"Okay, I'm listening." Life changing? He wondered, something had to have been wrong, he had never seen Rung so distressed before. Was he in danger? He would destroy anybody who tried to harm him. 

“I don’t want you to feel pressured, Max. You have no obligations to me.” Rung was nervous again, and this time his hands did shake, “I’m sparked.” His voice was very quiet, shaky. 

He froze when he heard Rung say he was sparked. he was still for a long time, face shadowed before his red optics flickered back on and he looked down at Rung. He blinked a few times before squeezing the trembling hand. "You...." Yanking Rung into his chest, he hugged him tightly. "A sparkling!" 

Pulling back he kissed Rung and nuzzled into him. "I don't know what to say." A deep blush erupted on his face, realizing it was his. "I would like to keep it if you want too..." He rubbed the back of his head and looked to the side, nervous.

Rung relaxed in Fort Max’s arms, his glasses knocked asque from the sudden movement. “Oh... I’m so glad you want to keep it. I do too. Very much.” he had the larger mech look at him, pressing their noses together.

The orange mech crawled into the warden’s lap, petting his massive head. “I think you will be an amazing sire.” Rung took Max’s hand, resting it over the swell, slowly pulling it up until it rested over his spark, “We will be happy. Don’t worry.”

They sat there for a long while, leaning against each other. There would have to be changes. Rung knew that. Maximus could no longer be his patient. His treatment could no longer be unbiassed. Though that did not mean he could not offer him the support he needed.

Max offlined his optics and rubbed Rung’s abdomen for a while before leaning down and kissing his cheek. His large thumb ran over his metal plating and he nuzzled into his neck. 

"I'm happy." He smiled at Rung, a real smile, the rare one he only showed him in private. A sparkling would provide many distractions from his old memories, paving the way for new ones. 

"We will have to think of a name." Pulling Rung close, he rubbed his back. "How have you felt since you found out? I heard Whirl a while ago say you looked unwell." He would do his best to take care of him with what he had.

“I feel fine. I was having some discomfort before I found out, and I still will. But its normal.” Rung straightened his glasses, “As for a name... We can wait for when we see what they look like.”

He smiled. “Something easy to remember so the crew won’t forget.” He chuckled, showing he was joking about how no one seemed to get his name right, save for a select few.

He paused, before sliding out of his lap. “I am afraid that I can not see you anymore... As your doctor.” he kissed Maximus’ hand, “Magnus will not allow it. And I can not allow it either. But, I will be here for you. As your partner.”

"Okay." A small laugh from Maximus and he kissed Rung’s forehead. "Something difficult to pronounce it is." Another kiss and a nuzzle and he let Rung slip from his grip. He also stood, rustling his platting before standing close to the little doctor, his little belly budge obvious now.

He tensed at the thought of Rung no longer being in contact with him, but the quick mention of him being his partner made his spark flutter. The thought of Rung being his delighted him and he smiled again. 

Dropping down on his knees, he became eye-level with the small mech and hugged him one last time. "I will do everything I can for you...I promise." Resting his head on Rung’s shoulder, his optics closed. Overlord’s sinister optics haunted him but he shook it away. He would die this time to protect Rung if that is what it took.

“And I will do the same for you.” Rung hugged him back, lanky arms around Maximus’ neck and squeezing, “I will keep you safe. Rooted here. In the now. And so will our sparkling.”

He had to go tell Ultra Magnus about the new development. Hopefully get Fortress Maximus into a room with him, and even better, out and about on the ship. Rung stepped away from Max, kissing his hand one last time as he turned to leave. He was not allowed to see Max for long out side of his sessions.

Safety reasons apparently.

“I’ll be back here tomorrow. Hopefully to help you move in with me. And~ so we can help the protoform grow.” he raised his brows, his attempt at being seductive.

Max was sad to let him go, but he stood and nodded to him, understanding. The last thing he wanted to do now was agitate the situation he was in. He was lucky enough to have been given a room, and with only one guard which in all truth he could pound into the ground if he wanted to. But he didn't. For his sake, and for Rung’s he obeyed and waited. 

"That would be...really nice." A room with company. A room he could freely leave whenever he wished. Though he didn't blame the others for being afraid of him, after what he had done. "I cannot wait." An attempt at a wink, but his left optic shuttered awkwardly and be blushed in embarrassment. Not to good at it. "I will be here when you return." Hopefully Magnus was feeling generous and would grant Rung his request.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Ultra Magnus deals with the 'mess' Rung has made, he makes a startling discovery involving the Lost Light's very own captain, Rodimus Prime! As the captain deals with the new discovery he has a spark to spark chat with Megatron.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter include a bit of sticky sex, Rodimus being rather stupid, and mentions of a past miscarriage.

Ultra Magnus was in shock.

Pure shock.

He glowered at the datapad, detailing Rung’s report of events and request. He had... Honestly expected better of the mech. But here was the report he had just made up. He rubbed his brow, almost wishing he had been beheaded just so he could be free of the ship and the insanity it contained.

He swore, almost ready to toss the datapad across the room. But he desire for order made that impossible, his arm stoping mid swing, servo’s still holding on tightly.

It didn’t help that Rodimus was constantly asking him the most ridiculous of questions. ‘Am I looking fatter? I swear I look fatter.’ What useless questions. His middle was fine. The combined hands of the Magnus armor still easily wrapped around his waste.

Speaking of Rodimus.

“What is it Captain?”

"Look at me!" Pinching his mid section, he whined. "It's bigger! It is!" He was pacing back and forth. "And!" He added before pressing himself hard against Magnus. "I have had a hard on all day!~"

Another wanton whine and he buried his face into Magnus' arm. "I'm so fragging horny. And not like the normal horny. The ‘if I don't get a good spiking in the next few klicks I might go crazy’ crazy." Releasing Magnus, he went over and flopped down in his chair, slouching in it and pouting.

The Captain looked up at his second in command, giving him ‘puppy eyes’ before finally noticing the angry look. "What's up your tailpipe?" His pout returned and he started to pick at the edge of Magnus's desk, just the other day he had gouged some profanity into it just to mess with Magnus.

His scowl only grew deeper. Like he really needed this. Rodimus’ libido had been nearly impossible to sate as of late. He had been sure yesterday’s ‘session’ had been enough to sate the mech for two days at least, but apparently he would have no such luck. He had reports piling up! And he had to use that... Earth slang? Was that what it was?

Sex with Rodimus wasn’t bad. It was amazing actually, the act itself almost like a piston in a cylinder. The movements repetitive and satisfying in more then one way. Which made the act a bit more sensible to his orderly mind. But the mess. The damned mess. He shivered.

He dropped the datapad like it was covered in the most vile of filth. “Rung interfaced with Fortress Maximus and is currently with spark. He is requesting I let release Maximus from ‘house arrest’ and let him move in with him. I have half a mind to send him off the ship for such a breach in protocol. And for the last time, you are not fat!”

Rodimus rolled his shoulders and let out a loud sigh before throwing both of his peds up on the desk, making a rather lewd display of his panel. If anything he wasn't at all modest about his needs and made sure Magnus got every signal he could throw at him.

"So, let him." He picked up some of the datapads on Magnus' desk and started to go though them, filling them out. Maybe the sight of him doing some work would get the massive mech going.

"He's much safer when Rung is with him. Plus," He finished four more data pads and stacked them neatly, "since Rung will be housed with him, don't you think it will do Maximus a lot better than being alone?" Another data pad and he rubbed his panel, it ached with a hungry need.

"If you are so upset about it, medical over ride it and have them terminate it and cut ties with Fortress. But that will probably make Maximus go on a rampage again. OR you can do what Rung wants and everything be fine. Just assign Rung to make sure Maximus is with him all the time if they go out. If anything bad happens I'll deal with it." He would say anything to get Magnus to come over and touch him. His frame was hot and he felt his tank turn.

"Please Magnus just come **here**." Finishing two more data pads he slouched back into the chair. "I'm hot as hell." He punched his side where one of his cooling fans where whining. "And come on, look at this." he rubbed his stomach, "it's bigger, I can tell. I know it is." Too much energon at Swerve’s perhaps....maybe too many sweet energon treats while in his own personal quarters. Not that he would tell Magnus about his addiction to rare energon candies.

It took Magnus a while to realize he was watching Rodimus work with his mouth hanging open. When in the pits could he be so efficient? He knew had could at times have a decent bit of logic. His whole speech about Rung and Maximus was proof.

But to go through six datapads in only two minutes when it normally took him half a day to the same amount was... Shocking.

He growled, slamming his fists on the table in a rare moment of lost control. He was at his wits end. Rodimus’ constant demands for interfacing and complaints of his body size were just too much. Him having to defend Megatron. Megatron being on the ship. Tyrest even... It was too much insanity. “Why can’t you be that efficient all the time?” he hissed, “And why in the slagging pits would you think I would order for a sparkling’s termination? What good would that do?”

He groaned, pushed himself and his chair back, patting his lap as his interface panel snapped open, spike pressuring instantly. “Come on then. Lets take care of you.”

Rodimus jumped when Magnus slammed his hands down, the data pad in his hands fumbling before he caught it and hugged it to his chestplate. His optics were wide as he watched Magnus snap at him. He had seen Magnus angry before, but never pissed off to the point of actually striking out. He yanked his peds from the desk, blinking a few times when the massive mech was done shouting.

"Alright, alright." Rodimus turned his head to the side, pouting. "I was just making a suggestion. You don't have to tell them that. I wouldn't. It was just an option."

Looking back at Magnus when his panel opened, his optics brightened and he nearly drooled. "Really!?" Rodimus shot up and quickly sat himself on Magnus' lap. By the time he got there his panel was already open and a large glob of Lubricant gushed out and streamed down his inner thigh.

"I need this so badly." He whimpered as he leaned into Magnus' chest, "I'll do all your work and mine, just please spike me senseless." He was begging him now, his valve pulsing with desire as its lips skimmed the huge spike.

Ultra Magnus glowered at the mess that was sliding down Rodimus’ thigh. “It was a poor suggestion.” he grumbled, taking his captain’s waist in hand and lifting him. He watch the valve pulse and leak. He positioned the smaller mech before slamming him down on his spike.

Magnus groaned softly, his servos digging into Rodimus’ aft. He was wet, and convulsing around him. “You were like this all day?” he leaned down, pressing his face into the mech’s neck, “Must have been torture.”

He leaned back in his chair, the grip on Rodimus’ waist loosening. “However, I think its best if you do the work. I can’t really move like this.” He held back a smirk.

Rodimus threw his head back, mouth gaping in a static filled wail as the spike forced his mesh lining part with no mercy. He choked and threw himself forwards, gripping Magnus' chestplate. He hated and loved when he did that, it hurt to good.

"Gah!~ Magnus..." He sat there, letting his valve pulse and form around the spike nice and snug before he leaned up, sliding the spike out. "All day and last night." He dropped, their hips clashing together hard, and he repeated before building up a steady bounce.

"P-Primus all day! I tried to self service but it just made it worse." No doubt his valve was hungry for his spike. Sopping wet, lubricants splashed from below them, making the most interesting sloshing noises. "It feels incredible." He was squinting one optic, mouth open as he let out a loud cry of pleasure. A hard slam down and he overloaded, pressing himself into Magnus as he screamed into his chest. It took all he had to keep bouncing on him and not stop from the lovely ripples of pleasure zapping his systems.

Magnus watched with wide optics as Rodimus rode his spike, his optics locked on that wonderful and messy valve stretch to take him. Was Rodimus in a heat? It seemed that way, with how desperate he was. But it didn’t seem like the right time. It wasn’t the right time! It was off. His heat was not due for one another half a year.

He wrapped his hands more firmly around Rodimus’ waste, actually bothering to feel for once, racking his memory for the precise measurements. They were off too, the captain’s circumference had increased by nearly five inches.

“Rodimus. I need... I need to see your spark.” his tank was churning heavily. He hoped to Primus it was not what he feared. He tried to recall the last time they spark merged, but that amazing valve was making hard to actually calculate anything.

Rodimus just bounced on him slowly, his hot cheek pressed to Magnus' chestplate. With effort, he pushed himself back and gave him a drunken look. Another ripple from his valve as he sat himself all the way down on his spike.

"Pff-ehhehe... Stop that tickles." Magnus' big groping servos made him lean back slightly before glancing up at him. "Why? You haven't even overloaded yet." A whine, and he twisted a bit, but the look on Magnus' face changed his mind and his platting opened. "Fine."

It slid back and the light from his spark came though and lit up Magnus' face. "Geez, if you wanted to spark merge again we should have done it before this." He we picking at his servos now, annoyed that large spike wasn't pounding him into the floor by now.

It took his optics a moment to adjust to the blinding light. He shuttered them a moment, then opened them again, and just watched.

It was there. Clear as day, rotating around the larger spark. A second spark. Magnus choked, and it almost felt like he was going to fall out of the damed armor. He reached up, servos almost touching the tiny spark, but he thought against it, his servo’s retracting like he was burned.

“You... You have a second spark.” He felt like purging his tanks, felt like actually ripping the Magnus armor off his frame and actually purging his own actual tanks. Minimus Ambus’ tanks. He was not disgusted at the fact Rodimus was sparked, more out of the realization he had messed up. He had miss calculated something, and so was paying the price. “You’re sparked.”

"Yeah so? It's been there for weeks." Rodimus looked inside of his own chest. "Just been floating around like that. Figured I'm just growing. You know getting older." Closing his platting, he let out a hard vent.

"Are you going to spike me or am I really doing all of the work today." His faceplate was bright red, his valve clamping down on the spike to remind Magnus he was still lodged up in the young prime.

"What's with that look on your face, Hmm?" He had never seen Magnus' expression so twisted and stressed. "Mags? Hello?" He knocked on the side of his head.

“Are you... Are you serious? Older? You think your getting older?” Ultra Magnus retracted his spike, making Rodimus groan, “You stupid... You slagging moron!”

He stood, dumping the young Prime on the table. He winced as the neat stacks of datapads fell over but this was more pressing. He grabbed Rodimus chin, leaning in close.

“You are having a sparkling.” Magnus hissed, “You are a carrier. And if I assume correctly, I am the sire.”

Rodimus looked around, confused, then panic. Lots of panic. "How!? Wah?" At first he was hurt from Magnus sudden harsh words, but now he was nervous. "I don't know how to rase a sparkling! I don't know anything about them!"

Panel closing, he got off of the desk and paced around. "I... I have to go to Ratchet! It's been on there all this time! All this time I thought I was just getting fat!" He stopped and stood in front of Magnus, rather sad look on his faceplate. "What do I do?" Magnus' expressing only made him feel worse, he looked disappointed.

He watched his captain pace, his panic clearly growing. Ultra Magnus wasn’t helping. He couldn’t be mad or disappointed. He had to be comforting.

“Shhh.” he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Rodimus’ frame, “I don’t know how either. But I will help you take care of it.” He held onto the young Prime tighter, gently rubbing his hands up and down his spinal strut.

“Come. We need to see Ratchet. You... You didn’t do much to care for it. We need to be sure its healthy.”

Rodimus looked down at his stomach, frowning. Surprised at Magnus' sudden affection made him look back up. A confused look crossed his face and he tilted his head at his second in command.

"You want to keep it?" How odd, he thought. If there was one thing Rodimus was sure Magnus never wanted, it was a sparkling, and him to overload in his desk drawers. He accepted being pulled close and he relaxed a bit.

"I don't know about this." He had gone a long time without doing anything to care for. Drinking at Swerve’s like there was no tomorrow, and sparing with Drift now and again. He didn’t know of course, but he still felt bad. Submitting to Magnus, he walked with him down to the medical bay. By far the most dreaded walk he ever had so far.

Magnus held Rodimus’ hand on the way there, not caring if someone saw. Well, he did care. But this was more important, not even letting go when they crossed paths with Megatron.

When they entered the med bay Ratchet’s face screwed up. Looking from Magnus, to Rodimus’ distressed face, to the Prime’s middle (no doubt he noticed the increased size), to their hands, and then back to Magnus.

Ratchet swore tossing the tool he had in his hand on the floor. He pointed at them, shaking the hand as he seemed to try to find the words to say. “I was not being serious.” he said, though it was clearly to himself, “It was a joke. An off handed comment to Chromedome. I was not being serious. This had better not be you coming here to tell me what I think you are.”

“Rodimus has been sparked. We need-”

“Scrap!” Ratchet looked furious, motioning to a nearby medical berth aggressively, “Well, get on the berth and lets see the damage.”

Rodimus didn't look up the entire walk of shame. Now feeling stupid, but a lot better that Magnus walked with him. He found it strange he held his hand, but squeezed it when Megatron walked by with nothing more than a sigh. Rodimus put on the breaks just outside the med bay but Magnus had no problem yanking him and presenting the Captain to him.

"Okay..." A near whisper Rodimus said after Ratchet was done talking. Why he was so angry, even just at this made him wonder what else had been going on today that he didn't know about. Thinking he should worry about that later, he walked over to the berth and stood by it a moment before looking back at Magnus. a loud vent and his shoulders sagged before he hopped up and put his hands in his lap. Nervously he picked at the tops of his servos and watched Ratchet, already knowing he was going to be scolded. It was bad enough he had gotten himself sparked, worse he had gone all this time without knowing he had it.

“Lets see how far along you are.” Ratchet whispered, gently pushing Rodimus to lay down. He ran his hands over his torso, pressing in a few places before taking a scan. He would have to make an even larger order for that mineral enriched high-grade now. Two confirmed sparklings and another that was hopefully soon to be conceived.

“You are so reckless. What have you been drinking? And how many times have you been sparing? I don’t need to worry about how much transfluid you've been getting, surely.” The protoform looked alright and, as he said, there was certainly no shortage of transfluid to help it grow. No malformations. He turned the datapad briefly so Rodimus could have a look, “You are already half way there, if the size is anything to go by.”

He tapped Rodimus’ chassis, taking the Prime’s hand and holding it. “Open up. Lets see if the spark looks good.”

A deep red blush at the mention of no shortage of Transfluid. No doubt Magnus could fill three bots plus with his loads. Embarrassed, it only seemed to add salt to his wounded ego already.

"Drift and I spar every other day." he had a sudden bit hesitation at the thought about how much energon he had had at Swerves in the last two days alone. "And I have been overcharged quite a lot this past week... And nearly every week." Another deep red blush of embarrassment and he turned his head away, not wanting to see Ratchet or Magnus giving him disappointed looks. Rodimus was young, born in war, he had never had the time to learn about how things were made, just how to get a good spiking as a relief from the battle field. Telling Magnus that would be pointless.

After a while he submitted and opened his chassis to Ratchet, his spark shining though until it dimmed in the medical bay light and he laid there and waited.

"Half way..." His voice shook and he felt suddenly faint. "Half way!?" He tried to sit up.

“Thought so.” Ratchet said, shaking his head. He couldn’t be mad at Rodimus though, he probably didn’t even know. He looked over to Magnus, who seemed to be in a state of stupor, staring slightly above where Rodimus was laying down.

The CMO held the captain down. “Calm down and stay on your back. You want to impale yourself on something?” His optics adjusted to the light, looking at Rodimus’ spark intently. After a long while he sighed, his hard face softening.

It was perfect. No warping. No malformations. A nice strong glow. He did a scan, confirming it’s pulse was strong too. “You got a sturdy fella in there, Rodimus. Takes after Magnus I bet.”

He looked up at a loud clatter, looking back to Magnus, who was now on his knees. He was out of his stupor and actually looking at Rodimus now.

Rodimus laid back down, frowning before he let Ratchet back to work. It was weird letting him stare at his spark, even if he was a medic, he barely let Magnus see it the first time he wanted to merge sparks. Even though he had suggested it, it was new to him. At the time Magnus had been kind enough to show him how it was done. Now that he thought about it, Magnus did do a lot of things for him outside of being his second in command.

"I guess so." He looked into his own chest, watching it float round before closing his paneling and jumping slightly when Magnus fell. "Mags!?" Hurrying to get up, he rushed over to him. "Are you alright?" A look of panic was on the Prime’s face as he grabbed and cupped Magnus' cheek. "Mags..." Dropping to his own knees, he wrapped his arms around Magnus' neck and hugged him. "What do I do?"

“Don’t worry about him. Some bots do that when they find out there are going to be a sire.” Ratchet said, smiling as Magnus slowly came to his senses, “I’ll bet he will faint when the emergence takes place.”

Magnus cast Ratchet a hard glare before hugging Rodimus back, petting his head gently. “I’m alright. I just... its a lot to take in.” He thought over what needed to be done. Drift and Megatron had to be informed. Drift as he was the TIC, and Megatron as he was co-captain.

“I think... You should step down as.. Co-Captain until its born. Let Megatron take over completely.” He scowled as Ratchet let out a loud sputtering sound.

"What!?" Rodimus shouted. "No way!" He pulled away from Magnus and turned his back to him. "No way I'm stepping down and handing the ship over." Now royally pissed off, he pushed past Magnus and stormed off down the hall. "I hate this!" He shouted from half way down the hall, already making his way down to Swerve’s.

Once at the bar, he slammed his fist on the counter, and Swerve already knew what he wanted and slid him a glass. Not getting to close to the nearly steaming Captain, Swerve just watched him as he swirled the drink and brought it to his lips.

A dark grey hand reached out and took Rodimus’s wrist, forcing him to put the glass down.

“Not safe to drink Engex when sparked.” Megatron said softly, looking down impassively at the smaller mech. He took the drink from him, downing it himself. He glared at Swerve, “He’s not to drink any more of this. Or anything that can overcharge him.”

Megatron was an old mech. He knew what a carrier looked like when he saw one. And after seeing Rodimus and Magnus together on the way to medbay he had put a few things together.

Regretful he had not figured it out sooner. “You could kill it for being so reckless.”

"What do you know about sparklings!?" Rodimus spat, his face scrunching as he tried to contain his emotions. All day he just wanted to be fragged, then cry into Magnus' shoulder, and he wasn't sure why, but know he knew.

"Swerve, give me a drink." Another hard pound to the counter and the mini bot jumped, though he made no move to do so. "Tsk." Putting his head down into his arms on the counter, he let out a hot vent of air he was keeping in. "Just leave me alone...."

Swerve looked at Megatron before reaching under the bar and getting a light blue liquid and poured it into a glass. Some of the mineral energon had arrived earlier that night. Slowly, he set the glass by Rodimus and tapped his arm, waiting for him to look up at the glass.

"Thanks." He sniffled, quickly rubbing under one of his optics with the back of his hand before sipping on the drink. He tilted to the side a bit, just in case Megatron tried to take it again. As the glass was half emptied, he licked his lips and made a soft "Mmm" noise, surprised at how sweet it was.

Megatron frowned, his tanks churning. He knew more then Rodimus thought. When the younger mech finished, Megatron grabbed him and took him to Cyclonus’ ‘brooding corner’ as it was called.

He made Rodimus sit down, sitting across from him. “I do know some things about them. I know what its like to loose a sparkling.” he let that phrase hang, waiting for Rodimus to show interest, when he leaned forward he continued.

“I didn’t know. My second... Starscream. It was early in the war. When he wasn’t a traitorous fool.” he didn’t like talking about Starscream or about their relationship, “I didn’t know. And he claimed he didn’t either. He was shot.”

Megatron pointed to Rodimus’ lower abdomen. “Right there he was shot. Tore the protoform up and fried its circuits. All that was left was the spark. But that wasn’t enough to keep it alive. Sparks forged through interfacing need the protoform. So... The medic had to terminate. I said I didn’t care. And Starscream...”

Megatron grimaced, remembering his former SIC’s stoic face, and yet he had cried. “He said he didn’t know, but he never showed me his spark again. Wouldn’t let me touch him for a long time.”

Rodimus put a hand on his abdomen, and for a moment he wondered who it was who shot Starscream. Though he supposed after all these years it didn't matter who. He looked back up at Megatron, then quickly looked away.

"I..." His jaw twitched, "Did't know that. Why are you telling me? It's not like I'm going to get shot around here. Nor am I your lover. Why care about mine? When I don't....even know what to do with it." He trailed off. A part of him didn't want it, the other half did. He was more so worried he wouldn't be able to have adventures anymore. The last thing he wanted was to be grounded taking care of a sparkling he didn't even mean to have.

"Besides...Magnus keeps telling me he’s fine with it... but I know he's disappointed in me." His spark throbbed, and a knot formed in his throat. The last thing Rodimus ever did was admit he made a mistake. "I think I'm going to get it terminated....maybe tell Magnus the spark burnt out...or something." He was scared, like all new carriers, he was terrified.

“I’m telling you because you never know. Back then I really didn’t care it was dead. I was grateful. I didn’t have to worry about the repercussions over what I did one night after drinking to much. But now... I wonder. What it would have been like if it wasn’t dead.” Megatron scowled, “It also showed my own failings. I didn’t notice he was carrying, even though I had seen so many carriers in my time. I was oblivious. It was my job as the sire to keep him safe. And I sent him to battle. I showed him no compassion when he cried silently on that berth.”

The former decepticon grabbed the back of Rodimus’ neck, an action of comfort. “He is not disappointed in you. I can assure you. His disappointment is in himself. Magnus likes order. He prides himself with his ability to keep his thoughts and surroundings organized. And now he knows he messed up a calculation.”

He shook the young Prime. “And do not just terminate it with out telling him. It is your choice. But he is the sire. He has no say, but he deserves to know. Do not lie to him. When he finds out you lied, and he will, it will hurt him far more then telling the truth.” Megatron made Rodimus look at him, “He is not disappointed in you, and he will not let you take care of it on your own. He’s too good for that.”

Rodimus didn't say anything, to afraid he might weep in front of the warlord. That last thing he expected in his life time was this mech comforting him over a strangely sweet drink that Swerve was very insistent on refilling every time he finished. He had downed about four of them before finally feeling full enough to deny a refill.

"What if I can't do it?" he whispered, "You know it comes out and I... I don't know what to do with it. Or even how to feel about it." He had seen bots abandon their young, but that was back on a battle field when they had no choice. He thought it was easy, just the way they left it, but if what Megatron was saying was true, there was pain, and it lasted a long time.

"...Question." He wasn't sure if he should have asked this after he had said he didn't care about Starscream. "Why didn't you try and have another? Why didn't Starscream...ask you for another?" He hoped he wasn't about to be slammed though a wall.

“I don’t know.” Megatron answered truthfully, “I have never carried myself. But I have never met a carrier who didn’t care for their sparklings after emergence. Sometimes even before. I have seen whores bawl their optics out as the gave their young ones over to more capable caretakers in my time as a Gladiator in Koan. Seen soldiers leave them behind so they won’t be in the middle of a battle field. Seen... Seen friends in the mines give up on life when the warden..." Megatron scowled and shook his head. He didn't want to think about that. "Maybe there is a code that ensures they care, and thus only want the best for them. I don’t know...”

Megatron blinked at the question, his red optics growing bright. His jaw set as he let Rodimus go. “By the time Starscream let me touch him again, our relationship had... Evolved into something... Disagreeable. I had just returned from exile and and taken back my role as leader of the Decepticons. He had conspired against me with Skorponok. He developed a traitorous streak. There was no more care in our relationship. Just... Blind lust.”

He should’ve been telling this sort of thing to Rung. Oh well. He could do it later he supposed.

"Sorry..." Rodimus whispered as he swirled the last bit of energon he had in his glass. As much as he wanted to drink away his problems, he wasn't going to be able to with Megatron in the room, and the last thing he wanted was a hard slap on the back of the neck like Trailcutter. Rodimus still wanted to be able to enjoy getting overcharged sometimes. "Just thinking out loud." The autobots were aware of Megatron's hard relationship with Starscream, but he doubted anybody knew it had gone that deep.

Rodimus slid out from the booth, rubbing his stomach once before looking at Megatron and venting.

"I suppose I should get some recharge..." Nodding to Megatron he started for the door. "Thanks..." He said over his shoulder before leaving, the bar door sliding shut behind him. Making a B line for his hab-suite, one part of him wanted Magnus to be there, and another part didn't.

Magnus stood when Rodimus entered. “Captain. I am sorry. I spoke out of line.” he said hurriedly. He had not followed him, instead talking to Ratchet about the options they had. If it was the right thing to do, he was not sure.

“You don’t have to give control to Megatron. And... You don’t have to keep it.” He would have liked to keep it personally. Sparklings were precious. Messy, but precious. But it wasn’t his choice. “Where have you been?”

Rodimus stood in the doorway a moment, then moved over to Magnus and wrapped his arms around him. Saying nothing he buried his face into Magnus' chassis and just offlined his optics. His hands shook softly and from time to time a loud vent would sound before he shifted and pressed his cheek to the cold metal.

"I'll....keep it." His voice was hoarse, and he didn't look up at Magnus, he just pushed his face into Magnus’ frame again. His frame trembled only a moment before he looked up. "I'm exhausted... Will you recharge in here tonight? You don't have too but..." He trailed off, his grip on the armor tightening.

Magnus returned the embrace, squeezing him close. “Then I will help you care for it.” it was his duty, and he would do it. Happily do it. He nodded at Rodimus’s request to recharge with him. “Of course.” the SIC picked Rodimus up and went to the berth, laying down and cradling the Prime close to him. A large white hand pressed to Rodimus’ abdomen, rubbing it soothingly. How could he have not noticed. He was a fool.

“I’ll be here when you wake up.” he muttered, doing what he thought was best.

Rodimus gave a small smile as he dimmed out his optics. Snuggling close to Magnus, he draped one arm around him and allowed Magnus to rub his stomach. It was a rather nice feeling in fact, and he leaned into it for a long time until his frame went slack. Falling deep into Recharge, the stress on his face relaxed and he finally looked at peace.

How Rodimus would be when the Sparkling was ready to come out was a different story. Though it was pointless to worry now. The best thing they could do now was take care of each other and make sure they did what was best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bubonicc wanted Rodimus to be like a sort of teen mom, which is why he's utterly terrified by the whole thing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During a celebration for Rewind and Chromedome, Tailgate suddenly becomes violently ill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter include some purging, Cyclonus being a massive insensitive dick wad, and talk of termination. Also lots of angst.

Tailgate had been laughing with Swerve and Skids when he suddenly felt the pain. A short, quick jolt. Like someone pricked his spark with a needle. He had panicked a bit, though it was so small and brief he had managed to calm down before anyone noticed he was shaking.

Then came the pulsing. His spark would pulse erratically for a few minutes, then calm down. It made venting hard, and caused him to feel woozy. The prickling feeling would come back, and last longer then before.

He didn’t want to go to Ratchet. He was scared. Worried he was still sick. That the treatment had only been a temporary fix. He was still going to die. To him it almost made sense to stay away from the medbay. So he suffered in silence. It wasn’t bad. It only happened once a day anyway. 

And now wasn’t the time for worry.

“I got the drinks!” Tailgate came over, in his arms several drinks to celebrate Rewind’s sparking. He passed them out to the others; Chromedome, Rewind himself (he got the blue stuff!), and Swerve who had left the bar to join them for a quick toast. 

Pipes and Hound were there too, but Tailgate couldn’t cary more then four drinks at a time. Didn’t matter, they already had their own drinks.

“Congratulations!” Hound cheered, slapping Chromedome’s back and spilling his drink, “Gonna be interesting having a sparkling on board. I have not seen one for so long.”

“More then one.” Pipes added, chugging his drink quickly, “Three. We’re gonna see three. Ring and the captain are having one too. Big announcement and everything.”

“Right, Three.” Hound looked over briefly to the very large back of Fortress Maximus, who was sitting across from Rung. The two of them looked totally engrossed in the others company.

"Maybe it will be a good thing to have more than one around here." Chromodome leaned against Rewind. "So ours is not alone. It would be tough having no one your age around to play with." Pulling back his mask, he sipped his drink. "Also Pipes," Chromedome sighed,"its Rung....not Ring. Maybe I will talk to him later. See if he needs anything..."

“It is? I could have sworn his name was Ring....” Pipes rubbed the back of his head, “Or Rang... Something like that.”

“I thought it was Wrong.” Hound muttered, taking another sip of his drink, “And I agree with ya. Sparklings do well around other sparklings.”

Rewind shook his head, taking Chromedome’s hand into his own and resting it on his abdomen. He liked the hand there. “Oh you guys... I’m surprised Rung doesn’t need his own therapist with how you always forget his name.”

Tailgate sipped his mid-grade, quietly listening to the others talk. He finally turned to Swerve, his legs swinging. “Hey Swerve, have you ever seen a sparkling?” he looked at the others, “I’ve never seen one before. What are they like?

"It wouldn't hurt for you guys to remember his name." Chromedome rubbed Rewind’s stomach, smiling down at him. "Yes I think we are fortunate to have others also following our path." He leaned down and kissed him.

Swerve turned and looked at Tailgate, "No I have never seen one before. Only heard about them and have seen pictures of them. I have never seen one in real life or even heard one.” he rubbed under his nose, smiling broadly, “Why do you ask? Someone like Cyclonus or Ratchet may have seen one before. I put my money on Ratchet. Say are you feeling well? Every couple minutes you keep shuttering." swerve slid another glass to Tailgate.

“I have some recordings of them if you are interested.” Rewind said, kissing Chromedome back.

Tailgate took his new drink, taking a sip. His tank churned slightly, not feeling well. The prickling of his spark was back, though now it burned. “I’m fine!” he lied, holding his drink up though his hand was shaking, “Just excited is all. Excited and happy!”

He took another sip, rubbing his chassis. “I’m going to go give my best wishes to Rung and Maximus. Everyone is avoiding them.” He hopped off the chair, his spark suddenly pulsing wildly at the quick movement. He dropped his glass, holding his chassis as he felt very woozy again.

Everyone stopped and looked at Tailgate. Chromedome was the first one to get up and grab Tailgate from under his arm to steady him.

"Tailgate?" He looked at the minibot noticing his visor was dimmed. "Do you need me to get Cyclonus?" He could feel Tailgate shaking in his grip. "To much Engex perhaps?"

“I’m okay. I’m fine.” Tailgate enforced, though his venting sputtered, and soon he was having trouble breathing. He heaved and coughed heavily, his faceplate sliding back automatically

He tugged on his chestplate, the burning worse. The stabbing worse. Everything was worse. He heaved, purging on the floor. His knees buckled, almost falling if it hadn’t been for Chromedome holding him up.

“I’m scared, Chromedome!” Tailgate cried, purging again. The whole bar was looking at him now, crowding around him.

“What you give the little guy Swerve?” Whirl asked, “Nightmare Fuel or something?”

"Call Ratchet!" Chromedome snapped at them and pushed them back. He knew this wasn't just an overcharge. "Calm down Tailgate. We're going to help you." Wincing when Tailgate purged a second time he pulled him back off the puddle. "Someone get a clean cloth and something to settle his tanks. Also fragging get Ratchet!" He yelled at them all when they didn't move.

Swerve pinged Ratchet, then pinged him several more times with an emergency call be for getting a cloth for Chromedome to clean up Tailgate with.

"Tell me what hurts Tailgate." Though Chromedome wasn't a doctor in the same way Ratchet was, he could probably provide some sort of comfort if he knew what was happening. "Deep breaths." he rubbed the minibot’s back before signaling Rewind to clear the area just in case.

“Alright everyone, take three steps back.” Rewind demanded, “Give him some room. Don’t crowd, we need Ratchet to be able to get to him.”

Tailgate began shaking, optic fluids pouring down his face. It hurt so bad. Why was it hurting so bad? This wasn’t anything like Cybercrosis. That was just a steady growing weakness. “My spark hurts. Its my spark...”

He tried to follow Chromedome’s orders. Trying to take deep vents, but that hurt too. He could do no more then take shallow gasps. He whimpered as he saw Ratchet enter. “Whats... Wrong with me?”

"Something is wrong with Tailgate. It's not an overcharge, and its not a panic attack," Chromedome was rubbing Tailgate’s back and gently brushing the coolant from his face, "But he's on his way to having one." 

He moved aside so Ratchet could see him. He had forced Tailgate to sit up just enough. "He says his spark hurts..." He looked at the others, all of their faces just as worried as his. "Don't worry Tailgate, we're going to help you. If you cannot walk, i'll carry you to the medbay if needed. Do you want me to ping for Cyclonus?" 

He had noticed the horned mech wasn't in the bar tonight, maybe that was a good thing, but if it helped Tailgate calm down then he needed to be here.

Tailgate shook his head. “I-I don’t want him to worry.” he whimpered, tugging at his chassis, “Please don’t ping him. P-please.” He was being stupid he knew. He could be dying and Cyclonus might not be there for him. But he didn’t want him to worry.

Ratchet pushed though the crowd, snapping at everyone to get back before kneeling down and putting a hand on Tailgate’s shoulder. Instantly he could hear his fans having a hard time working, and his rapid breathing.

Placing a hand on Tailgate’s chestplate, he let it rest there for a moment, feeling how rapid his spark beat had become. Pulling back a bit, he lifted Tailgate’s head and looked into his bright visor. Just behind it, he could see his little optics rotate and shrink, no doubt he was terrified, and Ratchet didn't blame him. 

"Tell me everything you are feeling and how long it has been." He was quick to look over the rest of Tailgate before kneeling in front of him and waiting for his answer.

“I feel... Like something is slowly stabbing me with a hot needle.” he whimpered, “And my spark is pulsing so... Hard... I can’t breath. Makes me...” Tailgate heaved, purging what was left in his tanks. He sobbed, his hands tugging more desperately on his chest.

“Weeks. Going on for three weeks.” he gasped out, “Started small... Got worse.” He grabbed Ratchet’s hand, squeezing tightly, “Medbay... Please I want it to stop!”

“I’ll ping First Aid and let him know you’re coming. Tailgate needs all the help he can get.” Rewind said, trying to get people to part again so Ratchet could leave. He had no such luck until Trailbreaker activated a forcefield.

That got everyone out of the way really fast.

Ratchet hauled Tailgate into his arms, lucky for him the minibot wasn't that heavy and was easily carried though the room and quickly down the halls. Ratchet kept him tight in his grasp, though the look on his face was a little annoyed.

"Weeks, Tailgate? You should have told me about this the day it started. Something could be very wrong with you and it no doubt has gotten much worse." Entering the medbay, Ratchet set Tailgate down on the berth and pulled his little hands off of his chest. 

"Open your chassis for me, but keep your hands out or else I'll magnetize them to the table." He warned as he got some tools and a scanner ready. "Just lay back and relax and I'll fix it..." A loud sigh, this is what he always did. Fixed everybody's problems when they were at their worst because nobody would come to him at their best.

Being in Ratchet’s arms was comforting, though Tailgate could see the CMO was annoyed. Wether by him or some other reason the minibot was not sure.

“I-I was so scared I didn’t want to face it...” Tailgate whined, dry heaving several times. He was so dizzy, his erratic breathing only making it worse, “I-I-I’m sorry. I know it was... Stupid.”

He set his hands on the berth, his chassis sliding open as First Aid joined them, taking one of his hands and holding it to try and calm him. His little legs curled, shaking wildly in terror. “Its bad right? I’m dying.” he wept, looking off to the side.

“Should I ping Cyclonus?” First Aid asked, looking at Ratchet intently.

Ratchet scanned Tailgate, then almost instantly after the results came in he pinch the bridge of his nose. On his screen a little light was dimly pulsing around Tailgate’s spark...and he already knew what it was.

"Ping him...but it's not because he's dying..." Ratchet leaned in as Tailgate’s chassis opened and there it was. The little spark that rotated around him and grazed over his own spark. No doubt causing the pain. The sparkling should have been orbiting the spark without touching it. 

First Aid nodded, letting Tailgate go and sending several emergency pings to the purple mech.

"Tailgate." Ratchet let out a loud annoyed vent. "You have been sparked, but your sparkling is on a curved path around your spark. When it grazes your spark. You feel the pain, including shortness of breath." He reached his hand, in, putting his hands in Tailgate’s spark chamber before very gently moving the sparkling away, changing the orbital path temporarily. 

"Its a good thing we found this out now...." He sighed, "Any longer and it could have killed you and the sparkling. But there is nothing to fix it. The best I can do for you is adjust its position every few days as it grows to help decrease the pain." 

He pulled his hands out and watched the Sparkling move around. Now it only brushed against his spark instead of rubbed on it. "Not to mention your innermost energon is not helping. Its curdled from your cybercrosis. Which normally would have helped with this situation...but its useless now."

Tailgate went limp as the pain finally stopped, only a soft throb left. After a moment he lifted his head, looking down as best he could into his open chest. After a moment he saw the little spark. 

“I’m sparked? Like Rewind and Rung? Like the Captain?” he suddenly felt so content, like a bit of coding suddenly activated. He rested his head back on the berth, smiling softly before his faceplate and chassis slipped back into place. He let out a hum, the pain and panic utterly forgotten.

Tailgate turned when he heard the quick thundering steps of Cyclonus. He lifted his head again, elated to see him. “Cyclonus!”

Cyclonus burst in, rushing to the side of Tailgate and glaring down at him with gleaming red optics. He growled at first, then looked at Ratchet without skipping a beat.

"It could kill you Tailgate." Ratchet finally said, standing close by his side. "I lessened the pressure, but like I said, if I don't adjust the sparklings path once a week, it could kill you, and the sparkling. You are putting yourself at great risk...if you keep it, and a lot of pain..." He thought about how Tailgate had dealt with it all this time. Some pain medication would help, but when it came close to having his spark adjusted he would be hurting. "Its a 50% chance of survival for both of you until the sparkling’s spark moves to the protoform."

“Then we will adjust it when needed.” Tailgate said, reaching out and taking a few of Cyclonus’ servos into his little hand, “I want it.”

"Terminate it." Cyclonus said, squeezing Tailgate’s hand. "Terminate it as soon as possible." He looked back down at Tailgate. "You should have said something. You are a fool for letting it go this long." He was furious, but only because the part of him that loved Tailgate had ignited at the idea of him dying again. "You should have at least told me Tailgate." his engine rumbled as he looked back to Ratchet.

The minibot flinched at Cyclonus’ harsh words, sitting up slightly and looking up at him. “B-but... I didn’t know what it was. I’m not a fool!” he let Cyclonus’ hand go, his arms crossing over his chest. “No! I won’t murder our sparkling. Why would you say that Cyclonus?”

Tailgate got off the berth, still a bit uneasy on his feet. “I... I’m keeping it. And you can't stop me.” he continued to cover his chassis, shaking. He finally pulled his arms away, hand over his slim abdomen. He couldn’t feel a bump yet.

“Don’t you want it? Its our sparkling...” He sniffled, hurt Cyclonus could be so heartless.

Kneeling down to get to Tailgate’s level, Cyclonus put his hands on his minibot’s shoulders and stared him right in the optics for a moment before letting out a loud vent.

"Tailgate," His grip tightened on his shoulders. "You could die. Never wake up, and that includes the sparkling. Half the chance is more than I want to bargain for." The sound of Tailgate sniffling made his optics darken. "Terminate it." He looked over his shoulder at Ratchet for support, but he had his arms crossed and was shaking his head. 

It wasn't his fight, nor did he want it to be. He already had enough bots with sparklings to worry about. "It's Tailgate’s decision ultimately Cyclonus. If he says no...I cannot do it. The best I can do is adjust the sparkling each week and give him medication to help until it is time for it to be born." He heard the purple mech growl in response before getting back up. 

"You're both fools." Cyclonus snarled.

Tailgate sputtered, on the verge of tears. How could he do that? Just order him to terminate! “W-well then... I-if you can’t accept I’m go-going to k-keep it then its just going to be my sparkling!” he snapped at Cyclonus, kicking him in the shin, his voice stuttering with his attempts to hold in his sobs, “A-and you can slag off y-you stupid Decepticon!”

He kicked Cyclonus again. “I-I-I don’t want to see you again! You lied! You said you loved me and y-you don’t! You are a Decepticon just like everyone says! I h-hate you!” It hurt to say those things, it really hurt. But Cyclonus was hurting him more.

Tailgate darted around Cyclonus’ legs and tossed himself at Ratchet, sobbing into his side. “I d-don’t want him here any more! Kick him out! I-I want to move in with Swerve!”

Cyclonus looked at his minibot in surprise, the kicks not doing much to him though. He felt a sudden pain in his spark, and he moved a clawed hand up to his chassis before quickly putting it down and turning his back to them.

"So be it." He snarled. All this time Cyclonus has been trying to convince the crew he wasn't a decepticon, and it hadn't even mattered, so why should Tailgate matter anymore. Might as well go to Swerve’s and drown himself in Engex in his usual corner alone.

"He's just worried that's all." Ratchet held Tailgate with one arm, motioning for First Aid to send a ping to Swerve that he could be expecting a roommate soon. "He doesn't want you hurt Tailgate. If you could have seen how worried he was when you had Cybercrosis. He never left your berth side." 

He rubbed the minibot’s back to try and sooth him. "In the meantime. Try not to do anything to...adventurous. Rapid movement can move your spark back into a dangerous position before the next appointment. So just try to rest throughout the terms." Pulling Tailgate off long enough to get him his medication, he handed him the canister. "Drink one glass of this each night, it will help with the pain."

“I don’t care.” Tailgate snapped, finally calming down enough to speak, “He’s sparkless and doesn’t care about me and what I want.” The minibot hiccuped, wiping off his face and rubbing his chassis.

“You should come to us twice a week too. If... You and Cyclonus are really done, we will have to give you an infusion of nanites to make sure the protoform grows. Cyclonus’ own transfluids are a better choice. But we can supplement.” First Aid said, “Though I recommend that corse of action even if you patch things up.”

Tailgate nodded, taking the canister and sniffling. “O-Okay.” he was afraid to do this all by himself. But certainly his friends would give him support, “And I’m not going to patch things up!”

He left, going back to his shared hab-suite with Cyclonus, intending to pack up what few things he owned. Instead he sat down on his berth and sobbed quietly, feeling unloved and rejected. “Figures a little worthless disposal bot like me would end up alone.” he laid down, holding himself as he sobbed.

“No one wants me. No one. But I’ll be good to you.” he curled up tighter and rubbed his belly, “I want you. So you will never be like me.” His optics offlined. He was so tired. With a little shiver Tailgate fell into recharge.

Cyclonus stumbled his way back into the hab-suite. Swerve had kicked him out after he had fallen into recharge more than once at the back table. Then he had stayed after hours longer than the minibot had wanted him there. Now he was standing in the door way, looking at Tailgate curled up on his berth with dimmed optics. 

He let out a loud vent as he felt his spark throb, punching his chassis in an attempt to make it stop. How could this stupid little white bot make him feel like this. An internal battle was happening. It had torn him apart the first time he thought Tailgate would die, he didn’t understand why he was doing it to him again.

Slowly, Cyclonus walked to the edge of Tailgate’s berth and just started down at him for what seemed like forever. A soft vent of hot air escaped him and he ran a claw over Tailgate’s cheek before pushing him over slightly and spooning the little bot. He draped an arm over him, pressing it to his stomach and thinking to himself before burying his face into Tailgate’s neck and kissing him. Another vent and he settled, dimming his optics offline, all he wanted to do now was recharge next to his minibot, because in a few weeks, he might not be able to anymore.

Tailgate shifted, disturbed. He mumbled softly, another sob escaping him. He pressed back into Cyclonus. “No one... wants me.” he repeated softly in his fitful sleep, “No one loves me... But I’ll make sure you... Never feel that way.” His hand moved to his stomach, grazing his servos along the surface before grabbing Cyclonus’ hands.

The minibot shifted a bit more, sobbing a bit longer before he settled back into a deeper recharge, tightly clutching Cyclonus’ hand.

Cyclonus' servos tightened their grasps on the minibot’s hand and he let out a loud vent, blowing the hot air over Tailgate’s back before sleepily onlining an optic. Leaning back in he kissed the side of Tailgate’s cheek before rubbing his stomach gently.

"I love you..." His raspy voice was soft in the silence of the room. "I want you." His servos tightened even more and his onlined optics went out. He pulled Tailgate closer to him, nuzzling him. "Shh..." he cooed for a long time before he fell back into recharge.

Tailgate woke up feeling warm. So much warmer then when he went into a recharge. He onlined his optics, mumbling as he rubbed his vizor. He sat up, jumping when Cyclonus’ arm clattered as it slid off his side.

He turned, resting his little hands on the larger mech’s face. His shoulders shook, sobbing again. “C-Cyclonus?” Tailgate lifted his servo, poking his hooked nose. He repeated until the mech onlined a single red optic. He was ready to lay it on him. To be nasty and tell him off. But that old fear came back. That fear of no one caring.

“I-I’m sorry... For calling you a Decepticon. Yo-You are not a Decepticon.” He didn’t want to be alone. Or unloved. It hurt too much. The thought Cyclonus could move on and leave him haunted his processor. And it hurt. “Please. Please I-I’ll terminate it. If... If it means you won’t leave me I’ll terminate it.”

Tailgate broke down, sobbing heavily. It wasn’t at all what he wanted. But he would do it if it meant Cyclonus would stay with him. “P-p-p-please. Please love me. I’ll get rid of it if it’s what you want!” 

Cyclonus watched him with his single optic a moment before slowly sitting up and rubbing his head. He listened to his little minibot before pulling him close and hugging him.

"Shh..." Nuzzling the side of Tailgate’s head, he rocked him slowly, some part of him angry for loving him this much to do this. He rubbed his back, waiting for him to relax. "I'm not leaving you Tailgate...I never was." Voice low, he kept his head on the minibot’s shoulder. 

"I just don't want you to...." A knot formed in his intake and he fell silent for a long time. "I don't want to come back to an empty berth." He was still unable to admit he didn't want Tailgate to die and leave him alone. 

"You don't have to terminate it..." He finally said as he pulled away from his minibot. "On one condition." Brushing away some of the coolant tears with his thumb, he continued, "You have to tell me when you are in pain so I can help you. No more hiding these things from me. Ever. Deal?" Taking one of his small hands, he kissed it before looking into that little visor.

Tailgate hiccuped, looking up at Cyclonus. “Y-Your not leaving me?” he nuzzled the larger mech, wrapping his small arms around his neck, “Y-you don’t have to worry about me dying. I’m tough.”

The minibot perked up almost immediately. “I can? Does that mean you want them?!” his mask popped back as he leaned in, kissing Cyclonus happily, “Yes, I promise. I won’t hide it anymore.” Tailgate hugged Cyclonus tightly, smiling.

He rubbed his belly. Already he was thinking of what to name them. Maybe Jetstream if it was a jet like Cyclonus. That sounded good for a jetformer.

"No, I'm not leaving you Tailgate..." He laid the two of them back down, pulling Tailgate up against his chassis tightly. "And it wouldn't hurt to have a sparkling of my own." He watched Tailgate rub his stomach. 

"It will be a lot of work..." tangling his servos Tailgate’s once more, he offlined his optics. "But you are a tough little bot." He was still exhausted. "Recharge. You are going to need it.” Nuzzling into the mini bot, he let his engines purr.

“I can do it. I can be a carrier.” Tailgate said, taking the bottle of medicine and taking a dose so he would not be in as much pain. He laid back down, snuggling close. “You can be a sire too, Cyclonus. I know you can. A really good one.” 

Tailgate offlined his visor. He was scared. But he could do this. He beat Tyrest, he beat cybercrosis. He would be strong.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drifts been locked up in his room for days and Ratchet decides to check up on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings for this chapter.

Drift lay face down on his berth, snoring deeply into his pillow. Now and again he would toss and turn and make a low growling noise before going back to sleeping face down. It had been days since he had left his hab-suite, pinging to Rodimus that he felt ill and couldn't make some meetings. His tank turned and he felt exhausted all the time, so his solution was to sleep in all day and night, and it didn't bother him one bit. 

He rolled over again, his tank making a loud growling noise before he whimpered and shifted uncomfortably on the berth. He let out a loud vent before his fans clicked on and he pressed the back of his hand to his forehead. He was hot, and nauseous, and all night he had craved those stupid energon Candies Rung handed out once in a while. Some part of him wanted to go down and raid Rung’s office for them, maybe use his power as third in command to...confiscate them. 

He laughed to himself before rolling on his side and sighing. Another painful tank turn and he groaned. Must have been some bad energon at Swerves, but why would it last this long. Or maybe it was that Rust Plague coming back, and he grimaced at the thought of his optics bleeding out again and rusting in front of Ratchet. There is no way it could be that, it happened to quickly, this was days of feeling sick. Having purged his tank twice already in the past day, he figured it was best to skip some dojo time and just lay in his berth and relax.

There was a loud banging on the suite door. “Drift, get your ass up and let me in.” Ratchet’s voice yelled from the other side, “I know you’re not feeling well!”

Some called it a sixth sense, but it was a simple fact of Ratchet knowing Drift’s habits very well. He had this same ‘intuition’ for Optimus Prime and his fellow autobots as well. Drift had been skipping training and several meetings. No one had even seen him.

And Ratchet knew that Drift took his training seriously. And that he never missed a meeting.

The CMO tapped his foot for a few seconds before pounding again. “I will override the lock, I swear to Primus Drift.”

Drift pulled his pillow over his head and whined., rolling on his side with his back to the door, he tried to fall back into recharge. In seconds he was snoring again and drooling all over. Damn it felt good to sleep in, and some part of him was amused Ratchet came all this way to try and wake him up. 

"Mnhn..." He yawned, tuning Ratchet out.

Ratchet growled, promptly punching in his override code. Being the CMO gave him some perks.

He was probably overreacting. But all these recent... Medical issues (if being sparked counted as an issue) made him on edge. Things were getting chaotic again. And that could only lead to something even worse. What it was he had no idea.

“Rise and shine sleeping beauty!” Ratchet bellowed, finding the human fraise fit rather nicely to the situation, grabbing Drift’s ankle and tugging him to the edge of berth, “Sit up and tell me whats bothering you.”

Drift grabbed the top of the berth, refusing to slide out from under his pillow. He let out a loud ‘hmph’ sound as he was no doubt pouting under it. This wasn't the first time Ratchet had tried to yank him out of his berth. Actually he had done it dozens of times before and you would think Drift would know by now Ratchet would always get in.

"I'm fine!" his voice was muffled, "Just tired. Overcharged. Just want to recharge." He yanked his feet back, curling back up and getting comfortable before his tank made a loud growling noise. He withered in place for a moment and whimpered before it subsided and he relaxed. 

His vents clicked open and he blew a hard gust of air at Ratchet. "Let me recharge." Peeking out from under the pillow, he smirked at the CMO, "Or you could come and lay here with me." Seeing Ratchet’s grumpy face, he put the pillow back over his head. "Or not."

“You have not left your hab-suite in four days. That is not fine.” Ratchet enforced,, pulling the pillow off Drift’s head, “What is wrong Drift?”

He worried for the kid. The speedster had been through a good deal. Almost getting kidnaped for spare parts. Thank god Optimus had saved him and brought him to the clinic in Rodion. Then there was the whole Decepticon thing.

“Don’t be a stubborn brat. I don’t have time for this. I got a panicky minibot who might die because he can’t maintain a normal rotation of a sparkling.” Drift had been in his room during Tailgate’s episode in the bar, so he probably didn’t know, “What are your symptoms?”

Drift covered his optics at the light, hissing slightly before scrunching up. He glared at the medic and growled slightly. 

"Just an upset tank." Uncurling slightly, he laid on his back and rubbed his lower abdomen. "Purged tank a few times... nothing serious. No need to worry. Just drank too much at Swerves." Putting his arms behind his head, he watched Ratchet. 

"Tailgate is sparked? Hmm. Didn't think A bot his age could even get sparked. " His face was pale and there were clear signs he had been sweating during the night when he slept. His optics where a dull blue and his fans made a soft buzzing noise. "Just some virus. Nothing some recharge and morning stretch won't fix." Another yawn and he offlined his optics. If anything, Drift was the most stubborn patient to ever exist in the galaxy.

“If you can go into a heat you can be sparked. Look at Rewind. He’s older then me!” Ratchet made a grand gesture, scowling at how nonchalant Drift was.

“You look like you have not been able to keep energon down for days, kid.” he groused, slapping his thigh to get him awake again, “And is it too much to drink or a virus!? Make up your mind.”

The CMO yanked Drift up into a sitting position, patting his cheek a few times. “Get up. We are going to the med bay and giving you a diagnostic.” he pulled Drift to his feet, taking his hand and dragging him out of the hab-suite, “Honestly you're a pain in my aft. You know that? And don’t make that into an innuendo!”

"Meeeeehhhhh!" Drift slouched as he walked, looking down then back up at Ratchet before smirking. "But you like when I'm a pain in your aft." Squeezing Ratchet’s hand, he bit his lip and tried not to laugh. About half way down the hall he put the brakes on ad grabbed his stomach with his free hand. He staggered a few steps before getting back up to pace with the medic. "Ahah-ow..." He frowned, maybe it was something serious. "You shouldn't worry about me so much. I can handle myself." 

They both entered the med bay and Drift didn't even bother waiting for Ratchet to ask him to get on the slab. Last time he hit him over the head with a wrench for being a smart aft about it, and for days he felt his processors ringing. Best to just do as he says until he figures out what was wrong.

"It's probably both." He laid flat on his back, holding up a hand to shield his optics from the overhead light. "I happened to overcharge...and be sick at the same time. It could happen." he hug one of his legs off the table and swung it lazily.

Ratchet tossed a ‘don’t mess with me’ look over his shoulder. Oh he did enjoy what Drift was implying, but he was not in the mood for innuendos. The look morphed into a look of concern when Drift fell back, holding his stomach. How long had he been purging?

“Its not an overcharge. As I said, its been four days.” the CMO grumbled, he activated the scanner, stepping back to look him over with his own optics. A bit pale, the usual shine on his armor was a bit mucky indicating he had been sweating coolants.

“Probably is a virus. But four days is a long while to carry one.” He turned to the monitor, rubbing his chin as he looked over the data. He was definitely low on energon. Was probably purging more then he let on.

His optics narrowed, before going wide as more and more data began to appear on the monitor. “How... How is that possible?!”

"What? How is what possible?" Drift looked up at Ratchet, though his big frame was blocking the screen so he couldn't see anything. "I'm telling you Ratch...it's nothing. Just need to drink better high grade that's all. It was worse yesterday. I feel a bit better today." 

Continuing to swing his leg over the table, his stomach turned again and he curled up slightly. "Nng~ Frag..." His optic dimmed and he rolled on his side. "Just tell me what it is and give me something so I can go back to berth." He snapped suddenly, totally not impatient.

Ratchet rubbed his face, coolants running down his forehead. He comm-ed Swerve. “Swerve, send someone up to med bay with that mineral enriched energon. You know the stuff.” he shut off the com-line, turning to Drift.

“Well... It’s not a virus.” Ratchet said, “But there is something wrong. I am not sure how it happened though. I... Will have to think on that part.” It had to have been that spark merge back when Chromedome and Rewind had inquired him about having a sparkling. 

He groaned loudly remembering his training. Never ever interface with a mech (in heat or otherwise) until a day after a spark merge. The code exchange was still viable. Just like how nanites were viable for at least two days after overloading inside of a chamber. He made the same damned mistake as Rung, only reversed.

The CMO slapped a hand on Drift’s shoulder. “You’re sparked, kid. Congratulations to you... And me.”

Drift burst out laughing and sat up, rubbing a tear from under his optics. After a moment he calmed down and looked at Ratchet, then started to laugh again.

"Ahaha! That a good one. Come on, what is it really?" He waited, only seeing Ratchet didn't laugh or even change expression at any point. His tank turned again and his optics shrank. "Oh Primus." Optics suddenly blacking out, Drift fell back hard on the table. It took his systems a minute or two to reboot before they flickered back on. Once back online, he looked at Ratchet. At first no expression, then a huge stupid grin. 

"Ha! I'm sparked...." Bracing himself on one of Ratchet’s arms, he climbed to a sitting position and hugged his medic. "Ratchet! I'm sparked and It's yours!" Nearly vibrating with happiness, he pulled away, suddenly looking a lot more green. Turning away, he purged, though barely any liquid came out and he dry heaved. 

Swerve came in with a crate in hand, several bottles of the special energon in it. He handed it off to Ratchet, looked at Drift, then sighed. 

"Primus, is there anybody on this ship who isn't fragging all the time?" Venting hard, he shrugged and left them be. Not wanting to be around the puking samurai any longer than he had to be. 

"Ratchet!" Drift grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "I...I don't know how to feel..." his head cocked to the side. "I'm both thrilled and..." His tank rolled again, "Ill."

Ratchet scowled at Swerve before turning his attention to Drift. He certainly took it well. And he was very grateful for that. He took a bottle and handed it to Drift. “You won’t feel ill after a sip of this. It settles the tanks down.”

He wrapped an arm around Drift’s slim waist. Luckily Drift had him to help. He had carried once in the past when he was much younger. Before he had even met Optimus. His spark surged slightly, and he wondered if the kid was still alive. He had lost contact long ago.

“I’m glad your thrilled. I am too actually. Never been a Sire.” he kissed the top of Drift’s head, “And with me taking care of you, nothing should go wrong.” God he hoped nothing went wrong.

Drift blushed, taking the drink and downing it an almost instantly he felt better. His tanks stopped turning and some color returned to his cheeks. He leaned forwards, kissing Ratchet on the cheek before a sinister Grin spread on his faceplate.

"I know enough about Sparklings to understand they need transfluid to develop." His brows twitched up, "Lots of it." His engines let out a low purr, and he leaned into Ratchet. "What more could I want. I have the hottest bot in the galaxy, I'm carrying his sparkling, AND he gets to frag me full." He mouthed Ratchet’s neck, but almost instantly he rested his head on his shoulder.

"Ugh, maybe later though. I'm so fragging tired." He hadn't recharged well at all the past few nights, and with his tank feeling better, exhaustion crept up on him. 

"Tomorrow," He poked a servo into Ratchet’s chestplate, "You, me, washracks. Pound me into the wall." He dimmed his optics offline, falling into Recharge while leaning against Ratchet. It really was amazing at how this kid could sleep anywhere. Must have been a perk of living in the Dead End for so long.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Rung drinks at Swerve's, Whirl makes his displeasure known. Afterwards, Rung tries to gain a better understanding of what happened to Fort Max during those three years on Garrus-9.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter include sticky sex (its consensual don't worry), and past mentions of torture and rape.

“Congratulations, Rang!”

Rung smiled, taking a sip of his energon as he was surrounded by a few mechs in Swerve’s. “Thank you. And its Rung.” he said, looking up at them. Fort Max had not been feeling well and had remained behind in their hab-suite. With the large mech gone, the other crew members were more willing to approach and congratulate him.

“I never saw a sparkling before. Even before the war they were few and far between.” Brainstorm said, pausing for a moment, “Why was that?”

“Its considered by many to be an obsolete form of reproduction.” Rung said, taking another sip, “I wrote a paper on it.”

“Oh, whats it called? I’d like to read that.”

Rung looked thoughtful. He could tell the tail of Froid and how he had ruined him, shaming him into never publishing a paper for millennia. But that was hardly good bar chatter. “I never published it. But I could send you a copy.” He took another sip of his drink, smiling as Whirl approached his table.

Whirl watched them all from across the bar, a loud vent escaping him as he tapped a claw on his glass. A soft growl escaped him at the thought of Fort Max having sat next to him and not himself there in that place. He had poured his emotions out to Rung only once...and Fort Max nearly killed him and he chose him instead.

"Stupid." Whirl suddenly said over all the commotion before hopping off of the bar stool and making his way over to the others. "Did you ever write a paper on spousal abuse?" The glass between his claws shattered when he squeezed it. 

"Why are you having a sparkling with him...after what he did to me... to you!?" He pushed the others out of the way so he could loom over Rung. "Hmm?" his single optic glowed brighter as his face was only inches from Rung’s.

Rung had indeed written a paper on that subject. But he was aware that was not what Whirl meant. The orange mech leaned back, lifting a hand to remove his glasses. “I appreciate your worry, Whirl. But Maximus is a very tender partner.”

His thumb twitched, a phantom pain from that day. Fort Max often apologized out of the blue for that. Rung knew why he did. The action had been like that of a torturer. A torturer like Overlord. He was ashamed he acted like Overlord.

Rung smiled, putting a hand over Whirl’s claw. “I’m doing it because I have fallen in love with Maximus. He is not forcing me.” he gently pet Whirl’s claw, looking at him directly in the optic, “I can see he is more then his actions. I see he is kind, and thoughtful. He is troubled just like you are.”

"Tsk!" Whirl pulled his claw away from Rung before grabbing the hand that Max had wounded while he was a hostage. "Is this love!" He snapped, his grip tightening on the hand as he held it up to show him. 

"You can't love him! You just can't! What are you going to do when he loses it again!?" He nearly threw Rung’s hand back at him, slamming his claws down on the table, making everybody jump. Whirl was known for his rage. "When he hurts you! And your sparkling!" he turned his back to Rung, some part of him feeling really hurt.

"I saved you that day...." His optic dimmed and he looked down at his claws. "I did...and you... You picked him."

Before anybody could stop him, he upturned a table and left the bar, leaving everybody standing in awkward silence looking at Rung. It was Swerve who broke the silence after a while.

"Don't take it personally Rung. Whirl’s just....a troubled mech that's all. Once he finally gets some hands...I think he will be better. Maybe. Probably not." he rubbed the back of his head before going over to the table and picking it back up.

Rung had known Whirl had considered him a friend. But... He had not considered it being more then that. He frowned, looking at his hands. Froid had been right. He was too personable to be a good therapist. Look where he was. A patient in love with him and he interfacing with a former.

Rung picked his glasses up off the floor, relieved they were not damaged. He put them back on and smiled at Swerve. “You might be right.” he said simply, standing up and walking out of the bar.

He wanted to talk with Whirl more, but the former wrecker needed some time to cool down. So he went back to his hab-suite. “Maximus, I’m back. Are you feeling better?”

Maximus looked up from a place he had been sitting, a warm smile on his face before he motioned for Rung to come over and sit on his lap.

"Yes, sorry to worry you." His red optics were slightly dimmed. He had experienced a nightmare earlier but didn't want to tell Rung. He didn't want to worry him, not now with a sparkling on the way. Plus he had worked so hard to get this far, he didn't want to fall back to what he was. 

"Just, a little tired that's all. Some high grade fixed me right up." There were a stack of books by his side, one way he passed the time while Rung was out. He had noticed his glasses were slightly crooked and fixed them for him. "How are you?"

“I could be better.” Rung said, making his way over to the warden. He sat down on a large thigh, kissing under Maximus’ chin. He contemplated on wether he should talk about it to the larger mech. “Whirl is having some trouble with me being with you. And I myself feel like I let my patients down.”

They were a couple now. And couples talked about their issues. Rung continued to kiss Maximus, moving down his neck. “What about you? Are you having nightmares again?” His kisses trailed down farther, his servos dipping into transformation seems.

Rung was soon on the floor, between the warden’s legs. “You can tell me about them Max. Its not good to hold it in.”

Max’s shoulders sagged at the mention of Whirl. Time and time again he had tried to apologize to him but he never wanted to hear it. Whirl would always storm off shouting about how everything was fine and that he wasn't mad at him for stabbing him at all. He would give the warden dirty looks at the bar and make it quite obvious he was agitated with him, and seeing him with Rung only made it worse. 

"You haven't let me down." He kissed the top of Rung’s head and lazily played with one of his antennas before watching him slither down his frame. A deep blush soon came as he watched his little mech between his large thighs, and he unconsciously spread them slightly wider for him. "I ah....no...no nightmares..." He swallowed hard, trying to ignore the knot in his tank. His servos tapped his tights, a little anxious, but he just leaned back in the chair and watched. 

When Rung became frisky it seemed so out of character for him. Everybody saw him as the sweet little doctor, but deep down he was just as naughty as all the rest. Just better at hiding it. It revved a part of Fortresses engines to be lucky enough to get this kind of treatment.

Rung hummed softly, his lips caressing Maximus’ inner thigh. He pulled away briefly to pull off his glasses, setting them on side table to keep them safe. He could tell Maximus was not telling the truth. “Are you sure?” his glossa slipped out, slowly drawing random patterns on the thin metal. He gave a soft nip before moving to the other thigh.

The smaller mech’s interface panel snapped open, his hands moving between his legs and rubbing his valve. He rubbed his outer node as his lips finally moved to Maximus’ interface panel, moaning softly. He hummed, licking the metal slowly. Repeating the random patterns. He was very experienced when it came to interfacing. He had done almost everything. 

“I think its time... For another dose of transfluid.” Rung purred, sucking softly as he slipped a servo into his quivering valve. “So I think you need to open up, Max.” he added another servo, moving them quickly.

Max watched Rung, his optics nearly offlining at the sight as his face became just as red as his optics. He hesitated, shivering as Rung’s glossa ran over him, sending little electrical charges through him until it swelled in his hips. His spike ached in its housing, pushing against the panel cover until he finally gave in and let it jut out. A large glob of transfluid beaded at the top and streamed down his length. 

"Everything is fine..." His tone was horse as he put a hand on Rung’s shoulder, feeling his arm move as he pumped into his own valve. "You don't....have to worry." His fans whirled online and hot air blew down onto Rung. Unable to help himself, he wrapped his hand around his spike and started to pump it at the same speed Rung’s own hand was moving. It didn't take long for him to be arched over Rung, his servos digging into him as he panted hard. 

Pushing Rung down onto the floor, he loomed over him. Removing Rung’s hand from his valve, he started to run his spike though those hot valve lips. His platting rattled, and he wanted to take him badly, but knew the first few moments were critical if he didn't want to hurt him. 

His hips lurched back and he prodded the spike head in and out, feeling the valve wrap around it and stretch. He would keep this up until he felt Rung was ready enough for more. Which luckily didn't take long, now that Rung had taken his spike before. 

"Do you like that." He dropped his head onto Rung’s shoulder, whispering into his audio. "Do you like my spike teasing you?" A free hand traveled down between them and started to pinch his outer node and roll it between his servos.

Rung mad a startled sound, surprised at how forward Maximus was being. He recovered quickly, spreading his pale thighs wide and moaning softly. His venting hitched as his outer node was pinched, his hips jerking. He lifted the servos that hand been in his valve up to his mouth, licking his lubricants off.

“Yes, I love it when you tease me.” the smaller mech cooed, sucking on his servos before he kissed one of the warden’s finials. His hips jerked upward, letting out a static laced moan when more of the massive spike inched inside him.

Rung wrapped his servo’s around his spike, pumping it quickly. He was patient and could handle a fare amount of teasing, but he was developing an intense charge quickly. He lifted his hips, forcing the spike in even deeper. 

“As much as I enjoy your teasing, Max... I really really need this.” Rung moaned, giving his spike a hard jerk.

Max was shaking slightly, wanting to please Rung, but not wanting to hurt him either. After a moment's hesitation and a few gentle thrusts, he hunkered down and wrapped his arms around Rung before ramming his spike into him. 

"Please tell me to stop if it hurts." He begged into Rung’s audio before clashing their hips together. Pushing their hips flush together, he pushed Rung along the floor until they where right up against a wall. Unwrapping one arm from Rung, he placed his palm on the wall to brace himself as he thrust hard and at more of an angel. 

Coolant dripped off of his face and down onto Rung as he panted hard. A sweet sweet pleasure building in him as he started to chance his overload. Rung’s valve was to perfect for him. The way it fluttered and squeezed him, it drove him insane. "P-Primus Rung," He cried out, rocking into him with all he had.

Rung let out a yelp, the first few thrusts slightly painful. But soon his valve adjusted, calipers spreading so the outward pull would not painfully yank the valve walls. Maximus was particularly aggressive in their rutting today. He most certainly was troubled by something.

He reached up, petting the warden’s sweating face. His denta chewed on his lower lip, the new angle hitting his ceiling node over and over. “Its okay. What ever you dreamed of, i-it can’t hurt you. Or me.” Rung ran his hand over the bulge on his stomach, over the protoform of their sparkling, “It can’t hurt us.”

Soon he could no longer form any words, the pace too fast and the pleasure far too intense. Rung held his hands to his chassis, his denta bared as he let out a soft gasp at each deep thrust.

With a cry of nothing but jumbled static and glitched vowels Rung overloaded, his body thrashing as his spike pumped a stream of transfluid on his frame. His valve rippled and pulsed, urging Maximus to overload as well.

Maximus pressed his forehead to Rung’s chassis and gave a last few pumps before his spike surged and blew a hot stream of transfluid into Rung’s chamber. His hips twitched back and forth, not quite pulling out yet until he was sure he unloaded everything he had. 

Once his spike settled he reached down and closed Rung’s panel as he pulled out, keeping as much of the fluid inside of his partner as he could before burying his face into his shoulder. For a while he said nothing and just breathed heavily onto Rung. After a while his spark beat slowed down, breathing returned to normal as his frame relaxed. 

Nothing but the soft sound of their fans could be heard until Max shifted and lay by Rung’s side, pulling him close. resting a large hand on his stomach, he finally onlined his optics and smiled. 

"I-I know." He broke the silence before taking one of Rung’s hands and kissing his knuckles. "I hope I didn't hurt you....I'm sorry." He was soaking wet from coolant, a clear sign he had gone too hard. Or at least that was how he measured it. "Are you okay." He was whispering, planting tender kisses along Rung’s cheek and just under his optic.

“You didn’t. It felt amazing actually.” Rung whispered, wiping coolant off of Maximus’ brow. The lanky therapist sat up, rolling his shoulders. He would probably need a new paint job on the rig he had on his back.

“I also rather liked how you took control of the situation. That confidence is... Very attractive.” Rung kissed Maximus gently, slowly getting to his peds. His knees shook heavily, but he managed.

“Now tell me, Max... Did you dream of him?” He was reluctant to even say Overlord’s name. It was almost forbidden. He was even reluctant to bring it up now. But Maximus needed to talk about it, least he bottle up his despair all over again. He couldn’t have another hostage situation. He massaged the warden’s finials, keeping him relaxed. “What did he do?”

Maximus blushed, turning his head away before he finally looked back and smiled. Sitting up, he helped Rung stand on his shaky legs before letting him sit down on the berth. A much more comfortable place than the floor.

His hands froze in place when Rung brought up his dream. His optics seemed to go distant for a moment before flicking back to look at him. 

"I... I would really like to talk about that some other time." He just wanted to hug and hold him and forget about that. He didn't want to remember Overlord pulling him apart, yanking back his plating... Touching him.

His grip suddenly tightened on Rung’s arm. A knot forming in his intake and his spark pulsing hard. He could see Overlord punching a hole though Rung, pulling out the protoform and crushing it in his hand...and there was nothing he could do about it.

“Alright.” Rung relented, allowing himself to be placed on the berth. He had to go after this, take a quick wash and then have a session with Megatron. He was looking forward to having a session with the former decepticon again.

He wasn’t fully aware of the extent of Overlords torture, but if Maximus’ vehement refusal to have his valve touched was related, it contained far more then just mutilation. Rung winced as his arm was squeezed, though it did not really hurt.

“I’m right here Maximus.” He said softly, petting his hand, “I have to go now. I have a session with Megatron. I think you should go to Swerve’s in the mean time. Have a drink. Maybe talk with some of your old friends.”

Fort Max let him go when he saw him wince, guilt suddenly covering his faceplate. Pulling his hand back quickly, he pulled at his own servos and backed up. He had to control himself, Rung was right, he was safe. Nothing was going to hurt him, he was fine. No one would touch them. 

"Sorry...maybe that is a good idea." he knew the others avoided him, he knew they were afraid. he didn't blame them, but sitting in here wasn't going to mend what was broken. He was a little nervous to do it without Rung, but he had to. 

Kissing Rung on the forehead and nuzzling him, he bowed his head and left Rung alone in the hab-suite. In the hall he hesitated as always, assuming the guards would stop him, but when no one did he continued on his way.

Rung watched Maximus go, confident he would do just fine on his own. Rung went to his private shower, rinsing himself off and letting the scalding water sooth any soreness before it began. The new paint would have to wait till later. 

He dried off, doing a few stretches before putting his glasses back on and leaving for his office. He smiled as he saw Megatron already waiting out side his office. The mech was rather punctual.

“Hello. I hope you have not been waiting long.”

"Not at all." Megatron turned to face Rung. He was a good three feet taller than him and seemed to tower over him when he moved close. "If is all the same, I would rather we not have a two hour conversation about my fusion cannon today." He had a rather un-amused look on his face.

Stepping into Rung’s office, he found his way over to the little berth and sat on it. He never laid down on it right away, not until Rung was sitting down anyway. Something about him was off. A dark cloud seemed to follow him around and it showed slightly on his worn out faceplate.

Rung chuckled. “Sorry. I just thought it had some emotional significance to you.” the mech went to his desk, pulling out some candies for himself before finally settling into his chair.

Rung noted Megatron’s dark look. He leaned forward, holding out some energon candies to him. “What is bothering you? You seem... Very troubled.”, when Megatron made no move for a sweet the orange mech sat back, popping one into his mouth.

"Rodimus mostly. The way he re-acted to the news of his sparkling. I may have let him in on information that I shouldn't have. More so for my own sake than his. I seemed to have convinced him to keep it." He rubbed his chin and finally laid back on the berth, putting his arms behind his head. It had been a while ago when the conversation had taken place, but Megatron was not one to talk about feelings often and held it off.

"By the way, congratulations on your sparking as well." He didn't look at Rung, instead he just stared at the ceiling. He wondered if Starscream was still on Cybertron or if he had finally moved on to something else. He wasn't sure yet if he missed him. 

After a long moment, he finally turned his head and looked at Rung, a small smile on his face at how happy he looked. The other day Rung had offered to help him wash off graffiti Whirl had painted all over his hab-suite door. Then the day after Rung had shared a Drink with him at Swerves. Rung so far was the only mech on the ship who treated him with a hint of kindness.

Rung crossed his legs, stretching a bit. Unlike most of the ship’s crew he was willing to forgive. As he had told Maximus, he had learned to forgive almost anything “Oh? What did you tell Rodimus?”

It was Megatron that convinced Rodimus to keep? That was rather interesting, and Rung was eager to know what he had told the young autobot. Rodimus refused to really meet with Rung, so it was still a mystery to the therapist as to why someone so wild would settle down.

"That I once had a sparkling as well." He looked back at the ceiling. "More so I was the sire. My carrier was wounded. We lost the sparkling. Never had another. With everyone around seeming to be eager to have a sparkling. It just... reminded me of days long past." He feel silent, it was really a pointless topic now. Nothing could change the outcome of what had happened. He was alone. 

"I figured I would just tell him what happened to me. He's young. Stupid. Scared. Mostly stupid. I just figured it might do him so good to have someone who...understands." Yes, his lifelong enemy, the warlord who killed hundreds of his friends offering some kindness to him. No wonder Rodimus was so distraught. 

Megatron shrugged, letting out a soft vent before shifting on the berth. Some part of him wished Starscream was still with him. He wondered if he would they would even ever be able to fix things. Go back to the way things were before the war now that it was over. Start over...

“Loosing a sparkling is a heavy loss. It must have hurt you both.” Rung said softly, his hand instinctively going to his abdomen. He noted the slight change in Megatron’s gaze, glancing down wards. A sign of guilt. So he had not been devastated by the loss then? That was a possibility. If it had happened in the thick of the war, Megatron may have been at his cruelest. A sparkling was often considered hindrance to those with bigger goals. They were time consuming and rendered the carrier useless in combat settings.

“Tell me about the carrier. No names are needed. Just... Tell me what you think of them. What you think of their appearance, their personality. What they have done for you in the past.” Rung said, “It will help.”

Megatron’s face hardened, now thinking about all of the times Starscream had tried to betray him. All the times he made quite the effort to kill him. 

"If it wasn't for his looks..." Megatron growled, crossing his arms over his broad chassis "I would have killed him ages ago. He's screechy, angry, plotted against me, hindered my plans, did little right when I needed him too. But he always came back..." 

His shoulders sagged. How many times had he told Starscream he was disappointed in him. How many times had he beaten him to the ground? How many times had he done that after their sparkling had died? No wonder he hated him. Starscream only wanted comfort and affection. For Megatron to be proud of him. The former Decepticon could only recall a handful of times he had praised Starscream. Told him that he was the very image of the model Decepticon.

The last time he had laced that praise with a serve beating, telling him afterwards that his worth was little more then a way to remind Megatron to ‘watch his back’ as he strode for his destiny. And what of that destiny? Who was it that ruled Cybertron now? It was certainly not Megatron.

"I'd say he's loyal...but he's not. There was something special about him. But it dried up. Just like I did." He sat up, now wanting nothing more than to be done with the topic. "What is done is done. I'm stuck here, alone."

The moment the word screechy left Megatron’s lips Rung knew who it was. There had been rumors that there had been more to Megatron and his second in command, but nothing that could be confirmed. Though this seemed to seal those rumors in fact.

“And yet... He came to your defense.” Rung said, eating another energon candy, “Came to Luna 2 and, in a way, defended you. Gave you the incentive to change your plea to ‘not guilty’. And, ultimately, helped you come here.”

The smaller mech leaned forward, resting his hand on Megatron’s knee. “I don’t think its completely dried up. For him, or for you.” he gave the knee a squeeze, but said no more about Starscream.

Another thought how ever came to Rung. He was unsure if he should even ask the question. His face grew serious. “I am going to ask you something, Megatron. And its not to leave this office. And its not going on any records.” he paused for a moment, letting what he said sink in before he continued. “Tell me what you know of Overlord.”

Megaton raised a brow at the little doctor, then smirked. He knew exactly why he was asking, and it made him chuckle.

"You want to know so you can better help your warden..." He said, inhaling deeply. "He's sadistic, loves getting off on other bots pain and suffering, and your warden was a hot spot for him. The Wreckers ran into him once, if I recall...he tore Springers faceoff." Another laugh before he shook his head. "Best leave it in the past. He's gone and can't harm you or your Warden." A sudden chill ran down Megatron’s spine when he thought about who Overlord spent time with. Millenia with. Sired a sparkling with. 

Trepan.

His optics narrowed and his intake suddenly went dry. Unable to collect himself for a few seconds he shook his head. "This...is something that doesn't need to be discussed." It was bad enough he had to deal with Chromedome walking around, he didn't need to be reminded of Trepan or his unusual and quiet sparkling. He wondered briefly what had become of Trepan. He had assisted Tarn with something some time ago... Megatron could not recall for what. Family matters possibly. Hopefully he was dead.

“I know. I cleared some of the team that would go to Garrus-9 and overtake Overlord.” Rung said, looking up at Megatron. His jaw set at the mention of Maximus being a ‘hot spot’, “So you have an idea as to what he did to Max? More then even I do?”

The mech broke eye contact at that, his hands clenching into fists. “All I have is that one recording Rewind had. All I know is that he sawed Max’s limbs off, ripped out his optics, and then used him as a lockpick to try and get into Aequitas. After that, I only have behavioral cues that hint to other... Things.”

The soft pleading to not touch him any lower the first time Rung had touched Maximus’ spike, the panic attack when when his servos tried to stimulate the larger’s outer node, and the obsessive care he took to prepare Rung for interfacing. 

He gritted his denta, feeling angry.

Megaton nodded to him, understanding what he was really asking now. It was... adorable how much this little mech could care about a bot who nearly killed him. Dedicated as he was, it could get him into trouble some lines down the road.

"You want to know if Overlord raped Fortress Maximus?" It seemed like a stupid question since it was so obvious, but he knew Rung wasn't one to just jump to conclusions without evidence. "Then yes. You are correct. No doubt he did. More than once while he had him. Judging by the condition Max was in..." he watched Rung shiver with anger. 

"I can only guess what he did to him while he was limbless, but it's no doubt he did what you suspected. If he avoids the question when asked...just assume it's a yes." Picking at his servos, Megatron had grown a bit bored.

“Thank you Megatron.” Rung said, smiling, though it was forced, “I will be ending this session a bit early.” The mech stood, stuffing a several candies in his mouth at once.

“My recommendation for you is to make contact with Starscream. Send him a message. Written, recorded, or live. Tell him you think about him. I do not recommend trying to rekindle what you had. Instead, try to make something new. Whether it just be friendship, or romance.” He went to the door, opening it for the larger mech, “And be sure to tell me if Whirl puts more graffiti on your door.”

As soon as Megatron stepped out of the office, Rung was off like a shot, all the way to Swerve’s. He vented hard, walking briskly over to Maximus’ lone frame. He opened his mouth, though paused, Suddenly not sure what to say.

“May I join you, Maximus?”

Max jumped slightly, not hearing Rung behind him. Turning, he was surprised to see him out of his session so early. 

"Yes, of course." Scooting over to make room for Rung, he waved Swerve over to give him a glass of mineral energon. "You ended your session early..." He cocked his head to the side. No one else sat with him, but at the same time the bar was nearly empty. On the table lay a data pad that he had been reading while he drank. 

"Did something happen?" He looked worried and his servos tapped the table. "Sorry, it's probably confidential right?" He took a nervous sip of his energon.

Rung did not sit next to Maximus, instead getting in his lap. “It is confidential.” he whispered, kissing the warden gently on the lips, his glossa running along them gently. He proceeded to kiss Maximus all over his face, quietly murmuring words of affection.

“I love you. I love all of you. Every inch of your frame, all your past.” Rung smiled, “And nothing you tell me can change that. When you are ready to tell me what happened, I will not love you any less.”

Max looked down at Rung in confusion. Accepting the affection, he finally smiled and wrapped an arm around Rung’s waist. There was no way he needed another dose of transfluid already did he?

"Are you feeling...warm?" He cocked a brow, his finials twitching at the sides of his head before pulling Rung close. "Didn't I just fill you?" He was teasing him, thinking Rung was just being needy for more of his attention, which he didn't mind giving at all. Until he mentioned about his past. His nuzzling stopped and he flinched away slightly. Could he know? 

Max leaned back in his chair, staring down at those glasses for a moment before shaking off the feeling and returning to nuzzling Rung and lovingly kissing him on the forehead. He played with the antennas on the side of his head something he rather enjoyed doing while Rung recharged by him. "I think its best it stays in the past..." He finally said.

“Alright. I’ll leave it in the past.” Rung finally relented, and for a moment he wondered if maybe Chromedome’s skills would be useful. Really leave it in the past. A past better removed and erased. He shook his head at the thought. That was too drastic.

“Lets go back to our suite. I’ll give you a massage.” he whispered after a long while, sliding off Maximus’ lap and pulling him along after him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rodimus and Ultra Magnus have a lovers spat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah that really all this chapter is. We wanted to further their relationship and things like that. Warnings for this chapter include sticky sex in the form of a blow job, and Ultra Magnus being a dick.

Rodimus was laying on his side on the berth. For weeks he had moped around, still unsure about this whole sparkling thing. Drift had told him he was having one to, and seemed a lot more excited about it than he was. Even though he had made peace with Magnus, he still worried.

"Hmm..." Rolling over, he rubbed his bulged out belly before turning his head and looking at Magnus recharging by his side. Luckily by now Rodimus had a larger berth installed so the two of them could fit on it. Snuggling close to him, he buried his face into his neck and started to mouth over his huge neck cables. 

Magnus had filled him earlier in the evening, but his spike was pushing painfully against his panel. Maybe with a little luck he could get Magnus to help him, now that he was all about helping Rodimus with anything he needed. 

"Mags..." He whispered into the large mechs audio. "Suck my spike for me." He didn't even hesitate, Modesty wasn't programmed into Rodimus. "Please~"

Ultra Magnus onlined an optic, groggily grumbling. He turned his head, looking at Rodimus. “Suck your spike...” he echoed. The optic offlined for a moment before both did, Magnus’ face contorting. Seemed he finally registered what was asked of him

“You know how I feel about doing that.” he grumbled darkly, turning his head away. Sucking spike was messy and Rodimus had soured him to the whole thing rather early on in their relationship. He had failed to warn the larger mech of his overload and had released in Magnus’ mouth.

After a few moments Magnus groaned loudly, sliding off the berth and onto his knees. “I swear if you do not warn me I will rip it off.”

Rodimus sat up, excited before his shoulders dropped at the thought of Magnus tearing off his spike. The worst part is he would do it and make him walk to Ratchet with it in his hands as punishment.

"I will! I will don't worry!" Panel clicking back, his spike rose up and he stroked it a few times. "I didn't think you would actually do it this time to be honest." He laughed nervously, remembering Magnus purging his tank the first time they did this. Luckily he didn't do it all over his groin. 

Spreading his legs a little wider, he presented himself and his twitching spike before leaning back on his elbows on the berth. Large globs of lubricant were already seeping from the top of the spike and seeping down its length, his fans whirling at high speed.

Magnus looked disdainfully at the spike. He opened his mouth slightly, leaning forward slowly. His optics offlined and his face grew a deep pink. After a minute of hesitation he finally pressed his lips to the spike, visibly shivering as the lubricants smeared over his lips.

He hummed, awkwardly running them along the ribbed surface. Magnus rarely ever sucked spike. In fact, all he was doing currently was recalling how Rodimus sucked his spike. He opened his mouth a fraction, sucking softly. He fought back the urge to gag as the lubricants touched his tongue. How Rodimus liked ‘giving head’ this was beyond him.

He resumed running his lips along the spike, this time with an open mouth. Constantly sucking before finally taking the spike head in his mouth, glossa sweeping along the slit and lapping up more lubricants with a displeased growl.

Rodimus flopped back on the berth, his hips inching up as Magnus worked. Servos tangling in the covers, he whined. his spike twitched, enjoying the attention it was getting.

"Frag...Magnus keep going..." Rodimus picked his head up slightly, watching Magnus. His own face turned red at that angry look he was getting and he fell back and giggled. "It won't hurt you I promise." He bucked his hips up into Magnus mouth just a bit to try and encourage him to do more. 

"I do it for you..." And Magnus always had a larger load than he did. Not to mention sometimes Rodimus would be covered in it sometimes if Magnus accidentally slipped out of him and burst all over Rodimus' frame instead. "Primus...." He reached down, stroking the side of Magnus' head and panting heavily.

Magnus growled in response, revving his engines to add some vibrations. He recalled he liked that, so it would make sense that Rodimus did too. He pulled away, his mouth making a popping sound. 

“And I dislike you doing it for me.” he muttered, this glossa drawing random patterns along the twitching spike. He could find no reason for oral interfacing. Other then it felt nice. And that obviously was not good enough for Magnus. The patterns were not precise and orderly. There was no rhythm, otherwise it was dull. At least according to Rodimus it was. Though the main reason was he always felt guilty. He didn’t understand the appeal, and so he projected that onto Rodimus.

At least thats how Rung put it.

He took the spike back in his mouth, easily taking the whole thing into his mouth and partially into his intake. He revved his engines again.

Rodimus gasped and let out a loud cry, propping himself up on his elbows to watch Magnus work. The vibrations made his threw his head back, mouth open in an silent gasp. 

His legs twitched at Magnus side, and his pronged toes parted slightly. His overload was close, he just needed a little more. Just a little more. He was so close and he felt himself teetering on the edge. he did the best he could to keep it at bay, not wanting this rare opportunity to be over so quickly. He had tried practicing edging his overloads, but he always failed.

"Don't stop!~ " Bucking himself upward, he grabbed onto the pipes on the side of Magnus' head and forced him all the way down. "AH!" His frame jerked as a hot stream of transfluid spurt down Magnus' intake. He couldn't stop himself, he had tried to hold it back, but Rodimus had zero restraint. 

His grip remained tight on Magnus' head, now realizing what he had done, he wasn't sure if he wanted to let him go. But then the thought of him biting of his spike filled his processor and he quickly released him. "Ah....sorr-r-y..." His vocalizer skipped as tremors of the overload washed over him. The only favor he had done for Magnus was dump his load directly down his throat, none of the fluid should have touched his glossa.

Magnus stiffened, his flushed face suddenly going pale. He quickly pulled away, clutching his throat as he coughed heavily. “I-I told you to warn me.”

Magnus heaved several times, though he managed to hold back. “I’m not doing that for you again.” he said flatly. At least he didn’t get any on his face. And he didn’t have to taste it.

“Do you not know the meaning of the word ‘warning’, captain?” Magnus asked, looking up at Rodimus with a scowl, “Its easy you say ‘Mags, I’m about to overload, please remove your mouth and aim my spike somewhere so I do not make you dirty. I know you really dislike swallowing transfluid’.”

Rodimus went to say something but stopped himself, looking down. His shoulders sagged and he pushed his spike back into its housing without a sound. He dimmed his optics, not making eye contact with Magnus, already knowing how angry he was.

"Sorry...I...didn't mean too." He said under his breath before laying down on his side and offlining his optics. "I tried..." He had his back to Magnus, just waiting to be knocked on the head for what he did, and now he wasn't even going to get another from him. "Sorry I frag everything up." He fell silent after that, his spark sinking in his chest.

“You didn’t try at all! You never try! The only thing you take seriously is combat and the exploring!” Magnus snarled, his temper getting out of hand. He found it was happening often now. “Why do you even call yourself Prime?! You are selfish. You are an insult to the name Prime! You will never be as good as Optimus! Not as long as you are so rash and selfish.”

Magnus quickly stood at attention. Hands behind his back. “Its time to grow up.” He approached the berth again and sat down on the edge, scowling at the far wall, “And the first step is getting rid of those ridiculous badges with your face on them.”

Rodimus kicked him hard in the side before getting up off the berth. Coolant burned in the corner of his optics and he glared at Magnus. His face now an embarrassed shade of red. Why would he say those things to him, why would he use words that would sting.

"I..." His frame shook, "I hate you!" He shouted, his engines roaring with him. "Why can't you just-" He turned fast, back to Magnus as he stormed to the door. "You don't know a thing about me! Or how I feel!" He stomped his ped on the floor. "I'll call myself whatever I want." Coolant ran down his face. It was bad enough the crew wanted him gone as a captain. Now Magnus was being more insulting of him then usual. "I hate you and this fragging sparkling." Stepping out of the room, he slammed the door shut behind him and went to Swerve’s. 

On his way he slammed his shoulder against Megatron who was also walking by, though he didn't stop and say anything to him. Instead he just kept going. All he wanted was to drown his sorrows at the bottom of the most powerful Engex Swerve had, even if he had to climb over the counter for it.

This time Magnus did not let Rodimus go off on his own, quickly following him. “You are forbidden to go to Swerve’s!” he snapped, thundering down the hall. He caught up with Rodimus, grabbing his wrist and roughly yanking him back.

“I know you're scared, I know you don’t think you can do this.” Magnus snapped, his collected demeanor completely shattered as he pushed the younger mech against the wall, “But you can if you just act like a damned Prime! You can be a good captain and you can be a good carrier!”

He slammed his fist into the wall next to Rodimus’ head, before that same hand wiped away Rodimus’ tears. He quickly tried to be reassuring, to be more understanding. It wasn’t something he was good at however. “Your still Hot Rod, but you can be Rodimus Prime one day if you just grow up.”

Rodimus tried to yank his arm back, shouting at Magnus. Digging his heels into the ground, he let his engines roar in frustration. 

"Let go of me!" He snapped when he was pushed against the wall. Trying to duck out from under the massive mech, he found it difficult because of his bulky figure. "Move! I can do what I want! Frag off!" 

Coolant poured from his optics. "You just said I was an insult to the Prime name!" His free hand punched Magnus' chestplate. "Leave me alone! I hate you." His struggled stopped and he broke down, sobbing as his tank turned uncomfortably. "Just leave me alone already." He stared at the floor when Magnus brushed the tears away. "Just let me drink myself into stasis." 

Rodimus looked up at Magnus for a moment, swallowing hard before looking back down. Bottom lip quivering, he covered his face. It was bad enough Magnus hated him, and he was slowly hating himself.

“You are an insult to the Prime name. But that doesn’t mean you can’t ever live up to it.” Magnus said, continuing to wipe away tears. He leaned down, kissing Rodimus’s damp cheeks, then his nose, and finally his lips. He despised public displays of affection. They were against protocol. But in this instance, he would break it.

The larger mech pulled Rodimus against him, holding him close. “Shh. I’m here. I won’t leave you to do any of this on your own.” His massive white hand cupped the younger’s cheek.

Magnus leaned down, scooping Rodimus up and carrying him back to the hab-suite, ignoring the looks passing crew members gave them.

Rodimus dimmed his optics, not moving and not kissing back when Magnus tried to comfort him. He felt like slag, looked like slag, and wanted to just vanish on the spot. He could only wonder if anything else could go wrong. 

Submitting to Magnus, he allowed himself to be picked up. Not like he had much of a choice. With the growing protoform inside of him, he was only at half strength. Magnus could flick him across the ship if he really wanted too. He couldn't fight him, couldn't break free of his grip, so all he did was allow Magnus to hold him.

Offlining his optics, he pressed the side of his head against Magnus' chest, a look of frustration and sorrow on his face as he tried to force himself into recharge so he wouldn't have to listen to Magnus tell him he was just a failure. So much for a fun night.

Magnus sat down on the berth, kissing Rodimus again. He had been far too harsh. He knew that now. But Rodimus needed to be told these things. He sighed heavily, shaking the mech until he onlined his optics and looked at him.

“I’m only saying this once, Rodimus.” Magus grumbled, avoiding the younger’s gaze, “But I... I love you. Alright? I do. I worry about you and worry you will get hurt. You need to... You need to grow up or you will end up dead.”

It felt like he had been following after Rodimus for years. And honestly that was true. For millions of years he watched the mechs back.

Rodimus laid down on his side on the berth, his back to Magnus as he pressed his face hard into the pillow before finally speaking up.

"I fought..." He said bitterly, "For centuries just like everybody else and survived." He was glaring over his shoulder now, his blue optics a deep navy color. "You think I'm some sparkling. I'm not. Optimus gave me the matrix for a reason." He went back to staring at the wall. "You are the one who needs to loosen up." His optics offlined again. Oh how he wished he could be overcharged right now.

The ‘I love you’ earned a loud hot vent, but his tense frame relaxed as he thought about it. His tank rolled again and he shivered, he had noticed when he became stressed it would ache and make him sick. Or maybe it was the fact he couldn't please Magnus that made him sick. "I just want to recharge I don't feel well."

“And how many times did you almost die? You did die!” Magnus snapped, rolling Rodimus over to look at him, “You died and the only thing that saved you was the matrix.”

He leaned down, wrapping his arm’s around the smaller mech and kissing his chassis. “You fought well. I’m proud of how well you fought. But the war is over. You can’t be the same person you used to be.”

Magnus laid down, pulling Rodimus to lay on top of him. “You have no idea how proud I am of you. But I can’t let you keep being the same. Not just because of our sparkling. But because of Rung’s. Of Rewind’s and Tailgate’s. Drift’s.”

Pressing his cheek to the cool surface of Magnus' chest, he sighed. Why did he always have to lecture him. Why couldn't he just...be normal for once.

"Whatever." Magnus' heat was making recharge creep up on him, and this time he struggled to keep his optics online until they finally flickered off. "Whatever you want." He mumbled before slipping into recharge. His hands were dug into the seams of Magnus' chestplate, keeping him latched in place so he wouldn't slide off. 

It was true Rodimus almost died, and then he nearly kill himself when he fried his processors to get back into the matrix, but he had to. Seemed no matter what he did Magnus wouldn't see him as anything other than a sparkling. Once his was born, he would probably make comments on how he has two to deal with. 

Rodimus suddenly shifted, sniffling softly before finally settling again and letting the night cycle move on.

Magnus was not so lucky, unable to go back into recharge. He stressed over what to do. All he had said after his initial outburst (all of it far kinder then he would normally allow) and Rodimus was still upset. Just before his morning rounds began he rolled over, gently making the younger mech let him go.

He kissed Rodimus again, rubbing his swelled abdomen gently. When the younger mech onlined his optics he pulled away. He knew what he had to say now. 

“You’re one of the most beautiful mechs in the universe. Your rashness is oddly charming.” he leaned down and kissed him again, “I like how you smirk. It makes me want to kiss you for hours at a time. You have done well to lead this ship despite everything.”

Magnus paused. “You are not a failure. You are you. And it was foolish of me to try to hold your skills up to Optimus Prime.”

The protoform inside Rodimus kicked out when Magnus touched his stomach. Rodimus himself grunted before he looked at Magnus. He was surprised, never had he heard Magnus...gush. Never did he think he would hear him so anything like that.

"I..." He blushed and looked down, embarrassed. "I'm not..." Rodimus started to rub his own stomach, something he didn't even realize he was doing most of the time. Seemed that some of the motherly programming was getting though to him despite his setbacks. 

Taking Magnus' hand back, he put it on his stomach and let out a soft vent. He didn't say anything, he let the protoform kicking do all of the talking for him. It was a strong kick, one that made Rodimus jump now and again. If it didn't come out looking like Magnus he was going to be surprised at how strong it was. Better yet if it didn't come out with a hammer he was sure to question it. 

"Thanks." He finally said when the kicking subsided and they lay their silently.

Magnus’ hand jerked, surprised. “It looks like the spark has migrated to the protoform. You’re in your last two months.” he said softly, giving the bulge a soft pat, “Very soon. He looked at Rodimus, smiling gently.

The sparkling would be very strong. Magnus could already tell. He was also thankful the size difference between Rodimus and himself would not be an issue. It was Minimus Ambus that was having a sparkling, not the Magnus Armor.

That made him worry for Tailgate. Not only was there the issue with the orbit, but the protoform’s size. He scowled, resting his head back on the berth.

Rodimus snuggled close to Magnus, his frame relaxing. As much as he hated him, he loved the old stick-in-the-mud just as much.

"Mags..." Rodimus whispered as he nuzzled his head into the larger mechs shoulder. "I love you too." A small smile, and his engines started to purr. He felt the larger mech stiffen and onlined one optics. "Are you okay?" He started to kiss Magnus' arm plating. 

If he was lucky he could butter him back up and get him to go oral again. Unlikely, but at some point he would try again. Maybe after a thousand years of filling out reports.

Magnus pulled Rodimus closer, face still set in a scowl. “I’m fine. Just worrying about our little guy ‘with the legs’. The problems with his orbit and his small size.” He looked down at Rodimus, smiling. “You should go back into a recharge. I need to go do my rounds.”

He noted Rodimus’ affection, though he thought little of it. He rubbed the swell a bit more, finding himself eager to hold their sparkling after the emergence. He slowly sat up, sliding off the berth.

“Took us long enough to say it, hmm?” with that any affection left his face, once again becoming the hardened SIC and leaving with out another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it should be noted I already have a sequel for this in the works. =)


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the minibots get together to learn more about sparklings, Rewind has some concerns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter include some depictions of birth (its not at all graphic but lets just put a warning in case, ye?) and sticky sex at the end.

Rewind ran around the room, tossing down blankets and pillows all about the floor before pushing Tailgate down in place. It was better that Tailgate not move around so much while he worked. He had heard of his bad sparkling rotation and was worried about him.

"Get comfortable, I'm going to shuffle though some videos to find ones we should watch." He turned his back to Tailgate, shuffling though several boxes of old tapes. It was no problem to transfer them into his own data base and project them onto the wall, it was just a matter of finding the right ones. "Ratchet had all of these stored away in the back. I managed to find some. Don't tell Domey, he will be mad to know I moved all of these on my own." he laughed starting to download some of the data tapes into himself.

Going back over to Tailgate, he sat down and pressed a button to the camera on the side of his head. He looked at Tailgate’s little budge, then he looked at his own stomach, which was still rather flat. He felt a worried pang in his own spark, he was sparked before Tailgate, or so he thought. Shouldn't he match the budge Tailgate had by now? Maybe he was over thinking it. 

"This is how Sparklings are formed." He said as the screen lit up and the video started to play.

“Shouldn’t we wait for Swerve? He said he was interested in learning too.” Tailgate asked, leaning back on a pile of pillows., “He said he would bring drinks and some candies.”

As if one cue Swerve came in, holding a few bottles of enriched energon and a box of sweets. “Sorry I am late! I had to beg Skids to watch he bar for me so I could see this. Took waaaay longer then it should have.”

He plopped down next to Tailgate, handing him a bottle and the box of candies before he turned to the projection. “Is this one of those educational vids? I never saw one of them.”

Rewind nodded, the projection moving with his head before he sat strait again and held still. sliding back his faceplate, he took a sip of the energon Swerve had brought. 

"Yeah, Ratchet said he had some in storage if I wanted to watch them. Said I could borrow them if I wanted. The first wideo is how its...made I guess. Then the next is the process or how it grows both in your chamber and around your spark. Which Tailgate will want to watch the most since his is on a crooked path. Then the last part is the emergence. Through the valve." 

The only down side of the videos was that the bots depicted in it were normal sized. So figuring out how the size difference was going to effect them would have to be learned though their own experience. Not that Rewind wasn't going to record all of it when his came. "Thanks for the candies Swerve.”

“So the first part is porn. Boring porn.” Swerve said, laughing loudly when a very technical drawing of genitalia appeared on the projection. His laughter died in his throat. “The valve? It comes out the valve?” He looked at Tailgate, frowning.

“Why are you looking at me?” Tailgate asked, stuffing some candies in his mouth. he was hardly past the 1/3 mark of his sparking and already he was showing. It would surely take after Cyclonus in size.

“Ah, nothing. Just a strong urge to glue Cyclonus to his berth is all.” He took a sip of his mid-grade.

Rewind leaned back on the pillows a bit before elbowing Tailgate. 

"Yes, they come out of the valve. I believe a lot of other species also emerge that way as well. Though of course their biology is much different than ours so I'm sure there are different terms for it." He ate a candy, shivering at how lovely it tasted. 

"And he's looking at you tailgate because you and Cyclonus are...different sizes. Which means your sparkling isn't going to always match your size. It could be like Cyclonus sized. Not that a Cyclonus will come out of your valve. But a much smaller one will. Which is why Ratchet is worried about us when we bond with normal sized bots. It's difficult for us to emerge a larger sparkling compared to us emerging one with a bot who is our size." He pointed at Tailgate’s belly. "I can only imagine what the Captains is going to look like."

Tailgate looked down, rubbing the swell. “So I guess Archlight is going to take after Cyclonus in size then?” he hummed, leaning back into the pillows a bit more, “I can do it. I saved us from Tyrest after all.”

“You named them already?” Swerve asked, “You don’t even know if its gonna be a grounder or a jet.”

“Well I have other ideas. I try out a new one each day.” Tailgate hummed, rubbing his torso again. His carrier coding had obviously already activated.

“By the way..." Rewind suddenly asked without looking at Swerve, "You and Skids a thing?" He noticed the way the two always hung out.

Swerve was in mid sip at that question, spitting it out at the personal question. He was among close friends, so why not just admit it. “I may have kissed him two weeks ago. I may do it again.”

They both looked at Swerve now, interested. Tailgate and Rewind both giggled and leaned closer to him.

"A kiss? Thats all? Nothing more?" Rewind hummed. "Nothing....after hours?" His visor shimmered.

Swerve’s face flushed pink. “Yes just a kiss. It was an... Intense kiss. But just a kiss.” he pouted, folding his arms over his chassis, “Don’t tease me. I never teased you guys about who you were interested in.”

"I'm not teasing you! I'm just...curious. Come on Swerve you should know this of me." Rewind went back to watching the video. "Besides, just curious if we are going to be expecting any more sparklings." He and Tailgate both snickered. "Some of us may have been putting bets down to see who would be next to be sparked. Also to see how much longer it will take for Ratchet to retire and leave First Aid in command."

The video cut and changed to the protoform inside of the chamber. The video explained sometimes the movements it made could be uncomfortable for the carrier, or just tickle. Then a time laps showed how it grew larger and larger until its full figure shifted downwards, nearing its next stage. The Emergence.

“You were betting that I would frag Skids and get sparked? Come one guys! Who else were you betting on? Regardless, the jokes on you. If I ever want a sparkling I’m making the bigger guy carry.” Swerve exclaimed, staring transfixed at the screen, “Ratchet retiring. Thats a really good joke. He’s never going to retire now with Drift sparked. Plus now he’s go the new hands.”

He promptly covered his face at the mention of emergence. Like hell he was going to see a sparkling being forced out of a valve. Drawing or not.

Tailgate took a sip of his energon, quietly listening to Swerve talk as he watched the screen. He squeaked at the diagram of and emergence, a bit of a panic coming on. If it was going to be as big as everyone thought, it would really hurt.

"I bet Domey would carry if I had asked him too." Rewind tapped his chin in thought. They did often switch positions enough that it didn't seem like a problem. But Rewind wanted to be the carrier.

He shrugged as the diagram changed to a live video feed of a bot on a table. Legs hiked up, he was screaming and arched forwards. One bot by his side was holding his hand and trying to comfort him while the medical staffed mover around quickly. Rewind held his breath the entire time until the protoform was pulled free and it started kicking and screeching. Soon after it cut to another diagram of a Protoform standing at full-length, naming its parts and rolling off its survival programming. 

"See...." Rewind elbowed Tailgate. "Not so bad. Just the...emergence part and then it's all over. And even then I bet it's not that bad. Ratchet told me some bots are silent though the entire thing. Others are screamers." He laughed, recalling Ratchet telling him a few of the times he had screamer bots and how they gave his audio an ear full. "And since you had your legs blown off, I'm sure an emergence can't be that bad." he tried to joke, knowing Tailgate was nervous

Tailgate nodded. “Yeah... Plus I can have my pain receptors turned off too, right?” that was a comforting fact, though the risk of injury still remained.

"It's better to have your pain receptors on Tailgate. That way if you feel something that Really hurts, Ratchet can help you. If you turn them off and your sparkling tears your valve all the way down and you don't know it...let's just say it's worth the few hours of pain." The video flickered off from Rewind’s camera and he fall back on the pillows, ignoring the fidgeting Tailgate was doing. 

Swerve snorted. “Hey, hey... I bet if Starscream had a sparkling his screaming would break the sound barrier.” he broke into fits of giggling, no doubt trying to distract his friend.

“But thats a measurement of speed. Not sound.” Tailgate said, pouting.

“Its a joke, Tailgate. I know that. Who doesn’t know that? I was making a joke at the expense of the new leader of Cybertron. Come on.” Swerve huffed, “I bet the Captain would have laughed.”

Rewind snorted, the joke was a bit humorous. Reaching down he rubbed his flat stomach, worry going though his mind. He should have been showing by now. Why wasn't he? 

Getting up, he brushed himself off before looking at his fellow minibots. "I'm going to go see Ratchet about something. Maybe tomorrow we can watch some more." he waved them goodbye before heading straight to the med bay. Once he saw Ratchet, he tapped him on the hip. "Ratchet, can I ask you something? If you're not busy..." He noticed the medic was leaned over, probably reading something.

Ratchet looked down at Rewind, grumbling softly. “Go ahead. Is something bothering you?” he turned away from the monitor, facing Rewind fully. “I hope to primus you are not having issues.” His skills were being stretched very thin at the moment, Tailgate's condition called for a specialist. Something Ratchet was not. He was doing all he could to study up.

"Ratchet..." Rewind said softly. "Nothing is hurting or anything. It's just... shouldn't I be showing by now?" he pointed to his normal belly. "I mean, Tailgate is showing and I am pretty sure Domey and I... you know before them." 

Rubbing the back of his head, he wasn't sure how to say it. "I just want to know if everything is going alright." He hadn't mentioned any of this to Chromedome. He didn't want to, not until he at least knew everything was alright. No point in worrying him.

Ratchet sighed, rubbing the back of his head. It wasn’t anything serious, and he was very grateful for that. He smiled, crouching down so he could look Rewind in the optics. “I didn’t show either when I was carrying. Don’t worry yourself by comparing your sparking to the others.”

He pat Rewind’s shoulder. “Its not unusual for a bot to not show if the sparkling has the body type as the carrier. Your probably going to have one with a memory stick altmode like you. Consider it a blessing. You won’t have to worry about the possibility of needing a new valve installed.”

"A new valve installed..." He better not tell Tailgate that was something that happens. "Right...okay. I was just worried." A wave of relief crashed over him and he let out a happy sigh. 

"Thanks for the video's by the way. Tailgate, Swerve, and I have been watching them." he leaned in closer to Ratchet and whispered. "Did you know Swerve and Skids are a thing?" He leaned away and stretched. "Anyway, thank you Ratchet. I need to get back to Chromedome. He's probably wondering where I am." Waving to the CMO, Rewind was off and nearly skipping down the hall. Rather delighted his emergence was probably going to be much easier than he first thought.

“You better tell Swerve to not spark merge with him! I swear to Primus five sparklings are enough!” Ratchet yelled after Rewind. He turned back to the monitor, back to his quiet grumbling.

Chromedome looked up from his datapad when Rewind practically skipped in, his body trembling with obvious glee. “You’re looking very happy. Get some good news?” he pat his lap, urging the little bot to get on it, “Come here and tell me all about it.”

Nearly jumping into Chromedome’s lap, Rewind got comfortable and leaned against him. He hugged him and kissed him a few times before settling back down.

"Ratchet lent me some videos about sparklings, so Tailgate, Swerve, and I all watched them. I was worried about how I wasn't showing by now so I went to see Ratchet. He said it was normal for me to not show if I was carrying a sparkling my size. Which means-" He inhaled, "You are going to have a sparkling that looks like me! A memory stick." 

He reached up and grabbed the cat like finials on the sides of Chromedome’s head. "I hope they have your finials though. They are so cute." He couldn't help himself. "I cannot wait for it to get here..." He relaxed in his arms, dimming his visor. Nothing could be more perfect than this moment right now.

“A memory stick altmode? Sounds very small.” Had it been another time Chromedome may have been apprehensive to even have a sparkling with a altmode that would be considered... Disposable. But they were among friends and those thoughts were nearly dead. And he was glad for that.

“You think they are cute? Hmmm.” Chromedome leaned down, nuzzling Rewind, “I can’t wait either. They will be so tiny and perfect, smaller then my hand.” His faceplate snapped back, letting him kiss Rewind gently.

“I hope you didn’t send them into a panic. It can be rather uncomfortable to look at an emergence.”

"Don't worry, we watched one happen. Swerve hid his optics." Rewind laughed and kissed back. "Tailgate is still a little nervous, I don't blame him. Hopefully Cyclonus is as supportive as you are." Kissing Chromedome all over the face he rested his head against his chest. 

"And yes, your finials are adorable." He blushed, remembering every time Domey was over him he would grab them and play with them or hold into them when Chromedome sat him on his shoulders. "I just hope everything goes well for everyone. " He suddenly laughed. "Most of all for Ratchet. Lets hope we all have our Sparklings on different days. Ratchet is an incredible Medic, but I don't think even he can do three emergences at once."

Rewind sighed and rubbed his stomach, some part of him was still sad that he wasn't showing, but another part glad. At least everything was going well.

“There should be a gap. At least for Rung and Rodimus. Rodimus is due any week. Another month for Rung.” Chromedome said, murmuring happily as the minibot kissed him.

Chromedome hoped Cyclonus was being supportive as well. He often could be heard muttering about how foolish Tailgate was being in his brooding corner. Tailgate seemed happy though, so at least the mech was not voicing his displeasure.

“Hmmm. I think you deserve a bit of a treat.” the Mnemosurgon lifted Rewind up to stand on his lap, kissing the transformation seams on his waist, “Open up so I can give it to you.”

Rewind made a loud, "Oh~" As he stood, his panel snapping back on command and his little spike jutting out. Holding onto Chromedome’s finials, he massaged them and waited.

"What is this treat exactly?" He purred, leaning forwards and kissing the top of Chromedome’s head before watching his partner carefully. Today was a good day indeed. If only everyday was like this on the lost light. Moral would probably be a lot higher.

“What indeed.” Chromedome murmured, his head dipping down. The small spike pressed against his currently exposed lips, his glossa darting out to slowly lick. He gently suckled on the tip, lapping up any lubricants that began to leak out.

“Such a cute little spike.” His head slid down, easily taking the whole thing into his mouth. An up side to such a large size difference. His Glossa slid out underneath, stretching to reach and flick Rewind’s outer node.

Rewind leaned forwards, gasping and shivering as his grip tightened on the finials. His little spike twitched inside of Chromedome’s mouth, rather happy at the attention it was getting.

"D-Domey...~" Panting, he moved his hips back and forth slowly. "It's not small..." He groaned, his visor brightening as heat swirled in his groin. "It's normal for my size." Planting little kisses all along Chromedome’s head, he cried out when his outer node was touched. It swelled and pulsed, zapping him with pangs of pleasure.

Chromedome revved his engines, sending vibrations through Rewind’s spike. He pulled away slightly, sucking on the head again. “Hmm, its little to me though. Little and cute.” He bobbed his head, servos gently pinching Rewind’s outer node.

With rumbling engines, Chromedome took all of Rewind’s spike back in his mouth, making several swallowing motions as his servos tugged and rolled the minibot’s outer node.

"Domey!" Rewind’s legs trembled and his knees felt week. "I-I'm going to overload!" He cried out, the fire in his groin only growing hotter over time. "I'm overloading!!" His vocalizer glitched as the waves crashed over him.

Chromedome stayed in place, happily swallowing every drop of transfluid that flowed into his mouth. Giving a few last sucks he pulled away, licking his lips. “Hmmm. I hope you enjoyed your treat.”

He helped Rewind sit back down in his lap, wrapping his arms around the minibot and cradling him. “I love you.”

Rewind pressed himself hard into Chromedome’s chest, letting out a loud satisfied sigh. A treat indeed, if it was one thing Chromedome was good a, it was treating him well.

"It was fantastic." His offlined visor brightened and he looked up, kissing Chromedome under his him before kissing his lips. "I love you too Domey. More than anything." Hugging him back, he rested his head on his shoulder. "I love you too..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the dialog was very heavy in this chapter and the placement was a bit weird. I hope I managed to rearrange most of the paragraphs to make it easier to read.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Rodimus tries to get clean he finds himself going into his emergence. He and Ultra Magnus are in for quite the surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Edit: Lots of people keep telling me the order of the paragraphs is messed up. Please stop telling me this. I know the order is choppy and I am trying as hard as I can to edit the chapters and make them flow better. This is not at all easy because of the format. Please remember that this is an rp. I don't need to be told about issue anymore. I am well aware and am doing all I can.**
> 
>  
> 
> Warnings for this chapter are pretty much just semi-graphic depictions of labor and birth. Nothing too detailed is described, but ya gotta be carful with these chapter warnings, you know?

Rodimus stood in the washracks, struggling to get between his back platting. With his bulge even larger now, his flexibility had slowly diminished over time. He exhausted easily just from walking from one end of the ship to the next, often Magnus would find him asleep in the strangest of places. He didn’t understand why he was so big. He had heard Rewind talk about how he wasn’t showing cause the sparkling was a mini-bot too.

The biggest his sparkling could get was a standard model. Minimus was even smaller then Tailgate. He should not have been showing this much. He sighed, not wanting to confuse himself anymore and just get through with cleaning.

Another hard stretch to try and reach his sore spinal strut, he suddenly jerked forwards, a horrible pain zapping his abdomen. Thinking it was just the protoform moving, he returned to trying to wash himself before it happened again, then again. Staggering forwards, he leaned himself against the wall before feeling a massive amount of liquid burst from between his legs and splatter all over the floor.

"M-Magnus...." He said, feeling faint suddenly at all the energon between his thighs. The pain came again and followed though in waves. "MAGNUS!" He screamed, coolant burning in his optics now, he felt like his spark was going to burst from his chest.

Ultra Magnus was there in an instant, grimacing at the mess Rodimus had made. That however was not important. What was important was his captain was clearly in great pain.

In two long strides Magnus was at the younger’s side, holding his face in his massive hands. “I’m here. Whats wrong?” He shut off the water, scooping Rodimus up in his arms and holding him. He massaged his now prominent belly, the metal incredibly tense.

“Scrap. Are you... Is the emergence starting?” he steadied his hold on the young prime quickly running out of the washracks and out of their hab-suite.

"I'm dying! I'm dying!" He was sobbing, more and more energon pouring from his valve as the protoform’s sack had broken. "Help me! Help me!" He had started to hyperventilate half way down the hall. His hands having an iron crushing grip on Magnus. 

He arched in Magnus' arms, screaming as more contractions coursed though him. He squirmed, holding his stomach, blocking it from Magnus, not wanting him to poke at it any more. 

"P-Primus it hurts!" Coolant streamed down his forehead, his denta clenching. "M-Magnus please! Make it stop! Nnng!" Another loud scream and he choked on his sobs. "I don't know...I don't know! Help me!"

Magnus ran past Whirl, who yelled something along the lines of ‘did you finally rip him in half’ when the former Wrecker saw the trail of energon along the floor. Magnus would reprimand him later.

“You’re not dying Rodimus. Its the emergence. It has to be.” He skidded to the floor as he stopped, nearly ripping the doors to the medbay off. “Ratchet! He’s beginning the emergence.”

“Set him here.” Ratchet said, motioning to the medical berth. He quickly got some supplies ready, mumbling softly as Rodimus was laid down, “Put your legs in these stirrups kid. It will help widen your valve. Make things easier.

Rodimus was stiff as a board, still sobbing as he tried to raise his legs. Pain making them shake in the stirrups, he fell back and gripped the sides of the table.

"I can't do this!" He cried, his chassis heaving. "I can't, I can't!" his tank turned and he cried harder. "Primus help me." His fans were whirling at high speeds, and his pronged toes spread as more intense contractions started and his panel snapped back automatically, releasing even more fluids. "M-Magnus." He begged for him, putting his head to the side and looking at the taller mech with nearly white optics. "Please!" He reached out his trembling hand. "I'll never complain bout reports again, just please help me." Coolant streamed from the corner of his optics.

First Aid was quick around the room to help Ratchet. Hooking Rodimus up to a spark monitor and getting a small incubator ready for when the protoform came out. Then he moved moved between his legs and as gently as he could insert two servos into his valve.

"AGh! Stop!" Rodimus tried to sit up, but First Aid pushed him back down as he felt how dilated his chamber was. 

"He's good to go Ratchet." Pulling his hand away, First Aid stood back so Ratchet could take over. "His chamber is open and ready. We shouldn't have a problem if he pushes with the contractions."

Magnus held back, his knees suddenly feeling very weak. He huffed, steeling himself against the surge of emotions he was feeling and quickly took Rodimus’ hand. He sank to his knees, kissing the yellow palm gently. “I’m right here, captain. I don’t know what I can do to help, but I will be right here.” he gave Rodimus a rare smirk, “Better not compain, or I’ll make you go through this again.”

Ratchet moved to Rodimus’ side, a hand on his shoulder. “Alright kid, I need you to push at every contraction. When it feels like you need to push, you do it, then stop when the feeling passes? Got that?”

He moved back between the younger mech’s legs, hands resting on his ankles. “Remember what I said kid, push when ever it feel like you need to. And stay by his head Ultra Magnus, can’t have you fainting at this mess here.”

Rodimus nodded to him, his vision blurred from all the tears. When he felt the contractions, he arched forwards and pushed. He clenched his denta, growling though them. His hand griping Magnus' so tight it thought he might actually damage him.

"Nnng!" It only lasted a few second before he flopped back, breathing heavy. "No way I’m doing this again!" He snapped, glaring at Magnus before pushing at the next wave of contractions. "Oh Primus hurry! Its killing me!" He screamed, his legs kicking in the stirrups before he fell back down again.

“Then you better do those reports with out complaining.” Magnus said, kissing Rodimus’ hand again.

“Magnus I need you to press on Rodimus’ frame and run it over the swell with a downward motion. It will help the chamber push the sparking out.” Ratchet ordered, holding Rodimus by the thighs to keep his hips from moving to much, “It isn’t killing you kid. I would know if it was killing you. This is perfectly normal. Trust me. I’ve done this part.”

Magnus nodded, shifting and resting his hand on the swell. He put on a light pressure, then ran it downwards toward his legs. “It will be over soon. This part of the emergence does not last long.”

“Did your reading I see.” Ratchet said, sounding slightly impressed, “Another push. Shouldn’t take many more.”

Rodimus jerked, sobbing out as he pushed again as hard as he could. The pressure was building and then suddenly there was a release. He fell back, optics offlining as he heaved in air. His grip on Magnus' hand loosened and he onlining his optics after a moment, using all of his strength to look up between his legs at Ratchet.

"Did....I?" His voice was shot.

“Head is out!” Ratchet called, gently pulling, “Standard size, color green.”

“Green? Wha... Oh! Right. Right... Ambus...” First Aid rubbed the back of his head, sighing. He had forgotten about that.

“Going to look just like his sire i bet.” Ratchet said, tossing Magnus a wink, He gave another pull and the protoform was freed, letting out shrill static as it got used to its vocals, “You handle the after care First Aid, I’ll clean this them up.”

First Aid nodded, taking Ratchet’s place between Rodimus’ legs. “Bit small considering how big Rodimus... Oh Slag. Slag slag slag!” he reached out quickly, a tiny red head quickly filling his hands, soon followed by a small frame “Minibot, color red! There is another?! You didn’t tell me there were twins!”

“T-Twins?” Magnus’ face seemed to go slightly green.

"TWO!" Rodimus shot up and barked. "THERE ARE TWO!" He didn't even have to push. His anger popped the second one right out into First Aid’s hands and it squealed. It kicked, flailing its little limbs about.

"It looks just like Rodimus." First Aid was quick to whip it off and clear out its intake. Wrapping it up, he went to hand it to Magnus though he quickly turned and handed it to Rodimus when he saw how sick Magnus looked. "Don't get up fast, please." First Aid put a hand on Magnus' shoulder.

Rodimus looked at the little creature. It had squirmed and cried until it touched his chestplate. At first he did nothing, unable to pull his optics from it when it opened its own. It had red ones, like Ambus. Swallowing hard, coolant tears streamed from the corners of Rodimus' optics before he gently pulled it closed and nuzzled it. A happiness flooded his processors, one he didn't expect. "Look at him." He managed to say to Magnus, his bottom lip quivering as he tried to contain his emotions.

“Are you serious? Two? In the name of Primus.” Ratchet snarled. The larger twin must have interfered with the scans. He finished wiping up the older one, going over to Rodimus and handing them over. “Here we are. Off onto your carrier. You look like your sire little one.”

“I guess the insignia isn't something your born with...” First Aid said softly, rubbing the back of his head.

Magnus stared, his large hand lifting and hovering over the two sparklings. He was afraid to touch them. They were so tiny and delicate. “So perfect...” he whispered. Never did he dream he would be a sire.

“What are we going to name them? How are we going to... How...” He had to grab the edge of the berth too keep himself from falling over.

Rodimus kept his sparklings close in one arm while extending his other and wrapping it around Magnus' head. He pulled him in, kissing him on the forehead before taking his large hand and gently draping it over one of the sparklings. Both were warm and purring happily, their little servos curled into one of his transformation seams. 

"This one is Rodimus Jr, and this one is Rodimus Jr. Jr." He nuzzled them, his face a light pink as First Aid cleaned up his lower half and put his legs down. "I didn't think they would be this adorable." All pain forgotten, Rodimus kept nuzzling them, unable to stop himself. His carrier coding flooding his systems and overloading him. "Is it weird they smell good?" He said, nosing the smallest one. 

"No, they are supposed to smell good to you." First Aid covered him with a blanket, then set some energon down by his berth side table before handing Magnus a glass. "Drink this before you pass out please. You are not someone I would like to try and pick up...no offense." He said before looking back at Rodimus. "And please pick better names. Don't scar them for life." 

"Tsk...fine." Rodimus looked at them for a while. "How about Seashot and Smokeshot? Better?" He looked over at Magnus with tired optics.

Magnus ran his thumb over the smallest’s head, smiling softly, though he scowled at the names. He had better be joking. Was Rodimus that self absorbed? He thanked primus when the younger mech changed his mind.

“Those are wonderful names. I’m glad you saw reason.” He took the drink, downing it quickly. It settled his tanks thankfully, and he relaxed a bit more, “No mustaches on either of them.”

Slowly, Rodimus sat up, wincing as his valve protested and convulsed. He wrapped his arms around Magnus suddenly. "I'll draw a mustache on one if it means so much to you." he joked, kissing Magnus' cheek.

Ratchet gently held Rodimus steady, “I need to move you to a clean berth so you can recover. Shouldn’t take more then a day or two for you to be back to tip-top shape.” He took the two sparklings and set them in the incubator.

"Can you carry me? If you can walk that is..." He gently scooted himself to the edge of the berth. "I need a bath...again." He said, grimacing at his sticky legs. "I didn't think it would be this messy..." He said as he realized he should have taken Rewind’s offer to watch the videos about Sparklings. Probably would have saved him the embarrassment and next millennium of reports he would have to fill out without complaining. 

“Drawing on our sparklings is against Protocol.” Magnus retorted, gently picking Rodimus up and moving him to the new berth. He took the damp cloth Ratchet offered him and wiped down the younger’s thighs. "If they want, they can take the insignia when they are fully grown."

Ratchet wheeled the incubator over, resting his hands on his hips as he looked at the two of them. “Handsome pair.” he said, watching the two sparklings clinging to each other. “Rest up, kid. You did good.”

“And I didn’t faint.” Magnus said, recalling what the medic had said all those months ago. He pulled up a chair, sitting next to Rodimus and the sparklings, “Go into recharge captain. I’ll keep an optic on them.”

Rodimus let out a soft vent, sticking one of his hands into the incubator and petting the smallest. He did so for a long time until Recharge forced his optics offline and he slept there with his hand inside. 

The little Sparklings shifted, chirping a few times before settling back down and sleeping. They would occasionally yawn and peep, but made no sound when First Aid walked in.

"I brought you some more energon. Figured you might need it. And Rodimus will need a lot when he wakes. Tomorrow you can both return to your suit. I made sure to ping the ship to make sure nothing happens to draw your attention away for the next few days. Rodimus is going to need all the help he can get. One sparkling is a handful, two are trouble." He laughed. 

"May I make a suggestion sir." He said in a serious tone. "With all that is happening, I think it is best we return to Cybertron for a while before returning to our quest. Tailgate needs a specialist for his emergence if things are to go right. I think it is wise if we go back."

“I agree. We should return to Cybertron. Starscream or not. This ship is known for its hazardous missions.” Magnus looked at the two sparklings, slipping in his own hand and petting the one that look like him. The real him. “However, that is Megatron’s decision. He is... In control of the ship currently.”

Rodimus had handed over the ship like Magnus had suggested. Though they had not told anyone, save for a select few. Rodimus was certain they would have hated Megatron being in charge. Rightfully so.

“And given he is not on the best of terms with Starscream, it will take a good deal to get him to go back. Hopefully Tailgate will be enough.” Magnus took the energon offered him, taking a sip.

He did not want to think what would happen if Tailgate died. He did not need a vengeful Cyclonus on the ship.

"I'll pass along a message then. If he refuses I'll send Ratchet to straighten him out. Ratchet can medically override the Captains orders if he needs to. Or we just send Rung in. I'm sure one of them will convince him." First Aid put a hand on Magnus' shoulder. "You should get some recharge too. Don't worry, they are safe inside the incubator. They won't get out." 

He pointed to a berth close to Rodimus' "Get it while you can, trust me." He said before leaving the two to get their rest. "If Rodimus is in any pain when he wakes up, I recommend a warm bath. Let him soak in it for a while. Special solvents will do his frame wonders." He nodded to them, dimming the lights before leaving them alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is gonna be pretty action packed. ;)


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Megatron agrees to return to Cybertron, the Lost Light looses power. A dangerous foe gets loose as a result.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter include violence (its not particularly violent, but again lets put up a warning), sexual assault, and character death. Don't worry though. No one important dies.
> 
> Edit: Rectified Trepan's death to make make our OC Mütter canon. Mütter is Overlord and Trepan's sparkling.

Megatron looked over Tailgate’s medical record, the datapad containing only a few bytes of data. It was not a long read, but it was full of several serious issues. Replacement limbs, cybercrosis, and now a abnormal orbit of a sparking, coupled with a protoform that was quickly growing too large to safely emerge.

“He’s a walking medical mishap.” he finally said, looking up at Ratchet, “As much as I loathe the idea of returning, Cybertron has no shortage of specialists.”

Ratchet nodded. “So... We are returning home?”

Megatron looked back down at the datapad, nodding. No doubt thousands of mechs would cry for his death. Starscream a possible ringleader. He could only hope Rung was right about there still being something left. “Yes.” he turned to Drift, “Tell the pilots to change course. Home for Cybertron.”

The were half way though a rather unstable nebula prone to plasma storms. It was unsafe to jump in such a place, and it was a risk to linger longer then necessary. “Be cautious, but quick about it.”

Drift nodded, trying to move the ship through the storm the best be could but over time the turbulence was enough to rock bots off balance. 

"Hold on to something!" Drift said as he saw a huge dark cloud rose around the Ark. Unable to avoid it, the ship flew though it, now dogging lightning strikes and hail. "All hands on deck!" he shouted as visibility started to vanish and Radar became their only visual tool. 

Thunder crackled and lightening zapped down, striking the side of the ship, jarring it to the side while the thrusters tried to make up. Drift rammed the wheel forwards, forcing the ship to jump speed, they had to get out of this cloud. 

Another stroke and the ships power went out, leaving the ship floating forwards a while before bursting free of the storm cloud. Though not quite out of the woods yet, Drift was quick to his feet, a troubled look on his face.

"Not good...Not good at all." He tried to get the consoles working again, but the ship was still rebooting. "The Chamber...it's....lost power as well..." Dread filled the samurai. "Battle stations!" He shouted at the confused few.

“What chamber?” Megatron asked, growling as he was suddenly comm-ed on his personal channel

“Is the power out?!” Rodimus’ voice screeched, “Is it all out?! Please say its not all out Please.”

“What in the pits is the chamber and what is in it?!” Megatron snapped, tapping his servo on the desk, “Tell me now or I will rip off your arms.”

“Oh... Nothing... Well... I mean... We can handle it.” there was a long pause, “I might have smuggled a very dangerous mech onto the ship with the intention of having Chromedome use his abilities to get some information out of him?”

“WHO IS IT?!”

“Uh... Overlord?”

Megatron’s servo stopped tapping. After a few moments he began to laugh, a loud uncontrollable laugh. This ship really was a mad house. He vaguely registered Rodimus shouting that it was “Prowl’s idea”. Of course it was. 

Drift drew his blades, the ship becoming a eerie silent. He could almost hear his spark beating in his chest. This wasn't good, this wasn't good at all. 

"Where do you think he will go first?" Drift said into his comm, already knowing Overlord was on the move by now. "We might be able to take him down by surprise if we are lucky. Maybe trap him in one of the escape pods, ship him out into space..." He tried to avoid Megatron’s gaze, already knowing he was probably going to wring his neck.

“Put those away!” Megatron snapped, speaking before Ratchet could even open his mouth, “You are in no condition to fight... And stay in your hab-suite Rodimus, keep your sparklings safe.”

“I was already planning it. Rodimus out.”

Megatron nodded, cutting the comm and looking back to Drift with a grimace. “He will go where ever he wants. Killing any one he will meet. However, he may have more to do if he happens across a certain warden.”

A few floors down, Rung was in the hall with Maximus as the power went out. The larger mech was growing uneasy in the darkness, but Rung calmed him down easily.

When the power came back however, the alarm went off, plunging the hallway with red flashing light.

“That means... And attack?” his tank churned slightly. “Stay here, Max. I’m going to go grab a weapon. Is that alright?”

Fortress caught Rung’s arm, panic flooding his face his face again. he shook his head quickly and tugged him back into his arms. Something wasn't right, he could feel it in his tanks as they churned.

"Don't. Please." He begged, nuzzling Rung before he slipped from his grasp. "Rung please. Something....something is off..." He looked around, his servos twitching as paranoia started to take over. "Please, stay..." No matter how much he begged, Rung tried to sooth him, so he waited, standing uselessly in the hallway with a horrible feeling.

Free at last.

By the time the power was back on, he was already out, having ripped the door open easily. With no power to keep him slow, let alone restrain him, it was a piece of energon goodie cake. Had attacked first mech he came across. A blue mech with a suitcase cuffed to his hand trying to get back into a lab of sorts. He had thrown a fit when Overlord had smashed the suitcase.

So he had ripped off his legs, used them to smash the entirety of the lab (and several other suitcases), finally leaving the annoyance to bleed out.

Overlord glanced up as the alarm went off, the hall flashing red. Good. They knew he was out. That meant he would get a good fight out of it. He was eager to get back at the mechs who had kept him in that wretched cell.

He rounded the corner, a smirk crossing his face as he saw the familiar back. He had become familiar with it after those years at Garrus-9. “Ohh, Fortress Maximus. What a joy it is to see you here. And you’re all put back together.”

He had always liked it more when the warden could try to fight him off.

Fortress froze in place, spark pounding so hard in his chassis he thought it would burst though. There was no way, not that voice, not here. It couldn't be. It wasn't possible.

He turned, red optics widening in absolute terror as Overlord stood tall and proud. Time for him seemed to move in slow motion, his vocalizer caught and he couldn't find words, couldn't move, couldn't do anything. The world came crashing down on him and he screamed.

"No!" He turned, slapping his hands to the sides of his head, his optics offlined. "Wake up! Wake up!" He screamed, falling to his knees on the floor. "Wake up! You have to wake up! This isn't real! It's not real!" Praying to Primus this was a night terror, he kept begging. "Please! It's not real! It's not real!" His intakes hitched and he felt like he was suffocating. "Rung wake me up! Wake me up! Please wake me up!"

“Oh, its very real, Maximus. Let me show you.” Overlord advanced on the distraught mech, grabbing him by his tank treads and lifting him easily, “I thought about you quite a bit while I was in that cell. Lets get reacquainted.”

He slammed Maximus to the wall, jabbing a few servos into transformation seams. “Who is Rung?” Overlord lifted a knee, pressing it firmly to the other’s interface panel, “It doesn’t matter I guess. I’ll kill them when I am done with you.”

Maximus was not really putting up much of a fight. Overlord had expected him to recover just a little bit. Maybe even react with hostility. Hopefully he would get the struggle he wanted from someone else. he ground his knee against the panel, chucking. “Be a good little mech and open up for me.”

"NO!" Max screamed into Overlords face when he mentioned Rung. "I'll kill you!" He trashed, grabbing at Overlord and baring his fanged teeth at him. "I'll kill you!" He thrashed harder as more and more pressure was added to his panel. He jerked his head forwards, smashing their faces together in the best headbutt he could accomplish. Their metal clanging together and energon spilling from his own nose from impact.

He bucked, digging his servos into Overlord, trying to get some kind of leverage on him. He couldn't let him get Rung. He couldn't let him hurt him the way he had. He couldn't let him kill the only thing he had left. "I'll kill you!" his red optics were glowing a sinister blood color. The kind and gentle Fortress he had worked so hard to bring back drained out of him with each howl and buck. "Get your fragging hands off me!"

“Ohhh, Rung means something to you then? Just me saying his name brought you back to life.” Overlord was not fazed by Maximus’ struggling. He never had. He returned the headbutt, chuckling softly as Maximus’ nose broke from the impact.

“Well now it will be all the more entertaining. I’ll have my fun with Rung when we are done.” He looked down, trying to remember what spots made the warden run hot. As one hand wrapped around Maximus’ neck, the other slid down, sliding a servo in between the junction of his groin and hip.

The returned headbutt knocked his optics offline and made his head hit the wall. He gasped and tried to recover, losing some of his fight in him, he groaned. It took his systems a few seconds to recalibrate before he felt that huge hand trail down his body. Already knowing his motive, he lurched his hips back hard, part of him dying when they hit the wall and could go no further.

“Was it right here? There was a wire that really revved your engines.” Overlord gave a soft tug on the wire, the smirk growing a fraction.

"Don't..." He said through clenched denta, optics still offline as the wire was plucked. he gasped and shivered, his neck cables suddenly tightened. "Stop!" He bucked, trying to break free. "I'll....crush you." optics flickering back online, he let out a low growl. "I won't let you hurt him." He snapped, spitting into Overlord’s face.

“And do you think you can stop me? Oh, Max, don’t forget how easy it was for me to defeat you.” he strummed the wire again, “I’ll beat you down and break your limbs. Make you watch when I twist his head off.”

“You will get away from himI”

Overlord caught the movement out of the corner of his optic. A bit of orange. He turned to face it, easily catching the weapon that was shoved at his middle. A staff. And the wielder had to the the lankiest mech he had ever laid optics on. The only part of him that was not willowy was his torso, swelled visibly.

“A carrier?!” He was almost jovial, quickly letting Maximus go in favor of the other mech, “I have never gotten the chance of killing a carrier before!”

"No! Rung get back!" Max screamed, grabbing for Overlords legs to try and slow him down. "Stop! Stop! Get away! Don't interfere!" Panic as flooding him, he had to protect Rung, he had to. He couldn't allow Overlord to hurt him. "Don't touch him!" Max dug his servos into Overlords armor, yanking on him.

Overlord grabbed Rung, laughing. “So you are the one! And look at you, Maximus, I’m hurt that you would move on so easily. I thought we had something.” He kicked Maximus hard in the middle to get him off, pushing Rung to the wall.

Tears filled Max’s optics at the thought of him not being able to stop him. What if he had to watch Rung get torn apart, his child pulled from him. He had to watch and then he would be next. What could he do? "Take me! Take me instead!" He cried, his panel snapping open. "Please! Please! Rung get back!" He hugged Overlords leg, praying he would just spike him to death, giving Rung time to run away. Anything to keep him safe.

“Why have you when I can have him?” with both of Rung’s hands held over his head in a single massive hand, he began to molest the smaller mech, large servos roughly massaging Rung’s interface panel.

Rung however was the picture of calm, he looked down at Maximus, smiling. “It will be fine.” he felt Overlord pause his touches, no doubt disturbed by the lack of fear, “It will be okay, Max.”

Max looked up though teary optics, how could he be so calm. Overlord would split him in two if he wanted. How could he just...accept it. That smile...that kind sweet smile he had grown to love more than anything in the universe. It made his hands stop shaking. 

"No, Rung please..." He coughed, his mid section dented from the hard kick. "Stop touching him." Max Crawled forwards again, the rage returning to his optics. "I'll kill you if you don't. I'll kill you!" Slowly, he got to his feet, his fanged denta showing. "Fight me..." He was panting hard, caught between fear and pure hatred. "Fight me..." He stepped forwards, throwing a swing at the huge mech.

“Stop interfering, Fortress Maximus.” Overlord snapped, turning and punching the warden in the face, sending him sprawling on his back. He lifted a ped and slammed it down on Maximus’s torso. “You did not obey me the first time, so now you are going to watch and wait.”

Fortress yelped, feeling his paneling crinkle under Overlords weight. One hand grabbed his leg, trying his best to lift it off and reduce the painful pressure. “You piece of slag...” Max said it weakly, he felt so usless. He couldn’t do anything to help.

“It will be alright, Max.” Rung continued, doing his best to not start shaking. He wasn’t afraid, not really. Rung racked his processor, trying to think of a way to stop this. To stop the damage that was being done to his lover. “Captain Megatron will save us.”

Overlord quickly turned back to Rung, his red optics wide. “Megatron? Is he on the ship?” this was he chance. Finally he could beat the fool down and win. Finally he would win. “Comm him, Maximus. Tell him where we are. I want to fight him” he tossed Rung to the side, the small mech letting out a soft grunt.

With his free arm, Maximus activated his comm and started to shout into it. "He's here! Outside Rung’s office! He's here!" Anything to get him away from Rung, anything to keep him from hurting him. "Hurry!" He winced again, trying crawl backwards. He gagged on his own energon, having a hard time breathing through his busted nose. "Megatron is on the bridge." He spat.

He reached for Rung, praying Megatron would be quick and end this. He hoped Megatron was strong enough.

Overlord removed his ped, stepping away from Maximus and leaning against the wall, waiting. “I will enjoy this. And when I am done, I’ll get back to the two of you.”

Rung crawled on his hands and knees over to Maximus, taking his hand and holding it to his face. He smiled, petting the servos gently. “It will be fine. I’m not hurt and neither is the sparkling.” he moved closer, laying his frame over the warden’s, “You did so well. I’m proud of you Max.”

Max sat up, grabbing Rung and wrapped his arms around him. He turned his back to Overlord, ignoring his words as he shielded Rung from him.

"Are you crazy?!" He shouted at Rung, taking his little hand in his own and pressing it to his own cheek. "Are you crazy? Don't you ever do that again. Do you hear me!" He hugged Rung, inching away from Overlord as Megatron's heavy treds came down on the ground.

Overlord ignored the two, looking up and down the halls. He smirked when he saw Megatron approach. “Captain is a step down from ‘Lord’. Don’t you think Megatron?”

"Still a better position than what you are in." Megatron stopped a few feet from Overlord, glancing down at Fortress and Rung. "If it's a fight you want, then come on." A part of him wished he still had his cannon. He could have ended the fight a lot sooner if they had not made him melt it down. "Show me then," Getting into a fighting stance, Megatron smirked.

“This isn’t like the pits back in Koan, Megatron. You gave me a massive advantage, in case you have forgotten.” Overlord’s smirk turned into a large smile as he lunged forward, his large fist connecting with Megatron’s face.

He grabbed the elder mech’s pauldrons, slamming him into the wall and headbutting him. “I have waited for this day! The day I finally best you.”

Overlord tossed Megatron down the hall, laughing. “Come on now you old cog head. I’ll let you get a punch in.”

Megatron staggered back with each blow before throwing up his arms and blocking. Ducking forwards, he launched, ramming his shoulder into Overlord and using his weight to knock him back.

"You will never best me." Megatron reared, roaring before throwing a barrage of punches. "Nobody can!" He charged the big blue mech, connecting their hands as they pushed against one another in a battle for dominance. "I'll humiliate you and crush you just like I did all those centuries ago."

“You’re punches hardly even itch.” Overlord laughed, grabbing Megatron’s forearms and slamming him to the ground. He lifted his ped and began to slam it down on the former decepticon’s chassis.

He stepped away, allowing Megatron to get up and attack him again. He took his punches, energon spilling past his lips at a hard punch to the face. He laughed, returning the punch, sending Megatron back.

Overlord grabbed his neck, squeezing tightly. “Your old and you are weak.” he taunted, “And when I kill you... When I kill everyone on this ship. I’ll find your seeker whore and find out why you kept him around so long. Consider it payback for taking my little Trepan away from me. You made me abandon the Decepticons. Abandon him. And when I came for him, he picked Cybertron over me!” he leaned in, flashing his denta, “And when I am done with Starscream... I think I will look for him. Surely he misses me.”

Megatron gagged, kicking out his legs against overlord. Energon streamed down his face and some of his armor clattered to the floor as Overlord continued to deliver several hard punches.

"Disgusting... You and that little glitch were perfect for each other. I should of killed him." He glared, one of his optics cracked and flickering on and offline. The image of Starscream dead scared him. Terrified him. "You'll have to get though me first!" His hand shot up into Overlords neck, wrenching out some of his wires before digging his knee into Overlords side. "Only I get to touch him! He is mine!"

Overlord only laughed, his fists repeatedly punching Megatron in the chassis before finally slamming his knee into his leg. He watched as Megatron fell, coughing up energon onto the floor. “Get up.” He slammed his food onto the former gladiators back, his spinal strut sending a shower of sparks onto the floor.

“I said get up!” he gave a hard final kick under Megatron’s chin, flipping him onto his back. The Phase Sixer watched as Megatron just bled on the floor, barely able to lift his head to look at him. His smile grew wide, stretching his full lips thin. That was it then. He finally won. 

Setting Rung down, Max kissed him on the forehead before looking back at Megatron. "I have to help him." He said, making sure Rung was a good distance away from the fight. "Go, find Ratchet and the others. Stay with them. I need to do this." Kissing Rung’s hand a few more times he started for Overlord. A burning rage igniting in his optics before he grabbed him from behind and wrenched him off of Megatron, staving his finishing blow. Overlord could not win. Not only was Rung in danger, but everyone.

"My turn." Another hard headbutt, then an elbow to the back of the neck, and he smashed his ped down on Overlords back. "I said I would kill you!" Another hard kick to the side, digging his peds into his armor. "And I will!" 

Overlord only smiled, his red eyes wide and lips pulled in a crazed smile. “Then do it Maximus. I don't have anything else now. No Trepan, no sparkling.” his voice was light and airy, “I did what I always dreamed of. It doesn’t matter if I die. I beat him. I beat the King of the Pit and he has to live with it like I did!" Overlord then opened his chest, and exposed his spark. Still smiling, like a challenge.

He hesitated only a moment, the mention of a sparkling tossing him off. Soon though he regained his rage, and with all the force Fortress Maximus could muster, he slammed his hand down into Overlords chest, wrapping his hand around Overlord's spark. A hard yank and he ripped it free. Overlord’s frame instantly dulled to grey, red optics going dark as his frame went slack.

The sixer’s smile never left his face.

Several mechs rounded the corner, lead by Ultra Magnus and Ratchet. They stopped, staring at the scene before them. Ratchet hurried over to Megatron, helping him sit up and doing a few quick repairs so he could get to his feet and walk to the medbay.

“Whirl, you and Cyclonus need to dispose of that pile of scrap.” Magnus snapped, a look of disgust on his face as he glared down at Overlord’s corpse.

“Sure thing. Can I toss Megatron too? He looks half dead already.” Whirl asked, his claws clacking together. He spotted Rung on the floor, that train of thought forgotten, “Doc? You okay?” He quickly hurried over to Rung and crouched down.

“I’m fine. Maximus did an amicable job in protecting me.” Rung said, smiling at Whirl.

"No, we are not throwing Megatron out." Ratchet said, starting to patch up Megatron's damaged optic. "You alright?" He asked, noticing Megatron avoiding his gaze. Must all his patients be stubborn? He sighed and continued his work. 

"Just get rid of him and make sure the rest of the ship is secure. I will share words with Rodimus later for this." Megatron finally stood up and brushed himself off, returning to his warlord composure. "Everyone return to your suites for the night.

Fort Max stood still, spark still in hand, he watched it flicker before finally dimming out. So much for being a point one percenter. He crushed the remaining metal casing in his hand before dropping it to the floor and turning to face Rung.

"I did it..." He walked with shaking legs until he was close to Rung and fell to his knees by his side. "I did it." A hard vent of warm air and he hugged the little doctor tightly. "Are you okay?" He asked, still a bit dazed. A small smile curled on his lips as he looked at Rung, cupping his face before kissing him deeply. The nightmare was over.

Whirl watched Maximus and Rung kiss. He was unreadable but after a while he laughed. “Alright. I see when I am beat!” he said, though the vaguest hint of hurt was evident in his voice, “I see I was wrong about you Max! I thought you couldn’t defend anything for scrap. But I see I was wrong. I leave Rung’s care entirely to you!”

“Shut up and help me get rid of him.” Cyclonus muttered, scowling.

“Yeah yeah calm your jets.” Whirl said, “Lets cut his head off, maybe Chromedome can get something out of him.”

Rung watched Whirl and Cyclonus drag the heavy frame away, turning to Maximus. He kissing him back. He was not sure if killing Overlord was the right choice, but after what he had seen, he couldn’t bring himself to care. “I’m so proud of you.” he whispered.

Max shivered with joy, he seemed to glow. Kissing Rung all over the place he picked him up bridal style. A part of him wanted to stop and ask why Whirl was so upset but it seemed better to let him cool off for a while before trying to talk with him.

"Are you sure you are alright? He threw you pretty hard." His hands were dirty, but they were like silk when he touched Rung. "I'll give you a massage later if anything hurts." Carrying Rung away, he kept kissing him. He came so close to losing him, he didn't want to let him go now. "Please don't ever do something like that again." He whispered, finally setting Rung down outside of their hab-suite. "I would never be able to forgive myself is something happened to you."

“I am certain.” Rung cooed, his hand resting over his frame. He felt the protoform move, indicating that the spark had migrated to it, “They are fine as well. It won’t be long until you can hold them.”

Rung looked Maximus over. To his crushed nose and damaged array. He smiled. “Besides, I think you need to go see Ratchet more then I do. We’ll both go so Ratchet can look me over. Put your mind at ease.”

Rung gently led Max to the medbay, holding his hand tightly. “I’ll do it again if I have to.”

Ratchet turned from his station when he heard the med bays doors open. He looked agitated, but relaxed when he saw Rung. His optics scanned him, noticing only a few scuffs on him, then he looked at Max who smiled nervously at him.

"Come on, sit." He sighed, moving so they could walk over to the berth. Instantly he got back to work reconstructing Maxes face all the while talking to Rung.

"Any pain at all?" He asked, glancing at the small orange mech before he grabbed one of Max’s Finals when he moved away. "Don't move." He said as he dabbed his nose.

"Sorry." Max held still, just glad the nightmare was over. "We're fine...just a little banged up that's all." He heard Ratchet snort. Both him and Megatron had suffered the brunt of it. Megatron refused any treatment after his optic was fixed and was now locked in his quarters. Something about contacting Starscream.

Once done with Fortress, Ratchet side stepped and stood in front of Rung. He grabbed his arms and looked them over, nothing a new paint job wouldn't fix. Moving to his stomach, he pressed on it in a few area, grunting to himself before stepping back and scanning him. He smiled once the image loaded and he handed the data pad to Rung.

"There they are." He pointed to the curled figure on the screen. "Your Sparkling."

Rung watched Maximus sadly. The mech was far from recovered. Fear was an irrational thing, and Overlord would haunt him still for many, many years. The lanky mech took the datapad, having the first really good look at their sparking.

“They will be big.” Rung said, smiling. The protoform had the bulk of Maximus, there was no doubt about that. What it would look like though would only be discovered after the emergence.

“Look. Here they are. Our sparking. Safe an sound. Overlord didn’t hurt them.” he handed the datapad over to Maximus, smiling, “They take after you from what I can see.”

Max took the data pad and stared at it for a long time. A grin split his faceplate and he pressed the data pad to his face before Ratchet took it.

"Do that to Rung, not my data pad please." The CMO returned to patching him up before finally stepping back. "It's going to be a few days before you are fully healed. Take the time to rest and recover. We are headed back to Cybertron soon, so best enjoy the last of the ride out in space while you can. Who knows what other hell we are walking into when we get back home." 

Fortress stepped off the table and held out his hand for Rung to take it so he could walk him back to their hab-suite. Along the way he hadn't said anything until they stepped inside. "Rung, why is Whirl always so upset when I am around?" He could probably guess, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions, not now anyway.

“I believe Whirl is in love with me. Like you are.” Rung said, taking his glasses off, “He believed you would hurt me again. I often tried to assure him you wouldn’t. But he did not believe me.”

Rung crawled onto their berth, yawning. “But I think he now sees that you love me and won’t hurt me. But I am certain he will still feel a bit... Saddened that I can not return the feelings he has.” the smaller mech curled up on the padded surface.

He was tired. A bit upset as well. To see Overlord touch Maximus like that... It made him so very angry. “Lets go to recharge now. I’m so tired.”

Max rubbed the back of his neck, now thinking of all the times he had kissed or hugged Rung in public when Whirl was around. Now he understood why he would snort and storm out. If he had known sooner he would have been more careful about that kind of thing.

"Yes, I agree. I am quite exhausted myself." Grabbing a thick blanket, Maximus laid down next to Rung before pulling him close and draping the blanket over the two of them. "I am glad today worked out." His red optics dimmed, and he kissed Rung on the cheek before offlining them. Having one arm draped over the little mech, he kept him close by, not wanting to let him go.

Rung smiled, offlining his optics and snuggling into his lovers arms. He felt a soft twinge in his back, but thought nothing of it as he slipped into recharge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I at first intended to kill Brainstorm off, but then I thought that we could use him for the sequel or something.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rung is awakened in the night. His emergence is beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter are just depictions of birth. Nothing horribly graphic.

Hours later, Rung awoke. He felt a steady pressure on his lower back. He sat up, feeling his abdomen. The metal was tense. He waited for a few seconds, and the pressure eased to nothing.

He began to count in his head, and a few minutes later the pressure returned. It hurt he found, but not horribly. He promptly pinged Ratchet, then turned to Maximus. “Max. We need to go to Ratchet. I’m starting the emergence.”

He shook the warden. “Max, you need to wake up. The sparkling is coming. I think I am... ah... In the early stages. We need to hurry.”

Max groaned, onlining one optic before looking at Rung and trying to process what he was saying. Suddenly both optics burst online and he sat up so fast he hit his head on the hanging light.

'What!? Already!?" He slid from the berth, looking at Rung as if he was a time bomb. "Ah? I'll carry you!" Scooping Rung up, he held him as carefully as he could before leaving the room and hurrying down the hall. "Do you need anything? Energon? Those candies you like?" He was trying to hide his panic, failing at it when the corner of his mouth twitched.

Entering the med bay, Ratchet was waiting by a clean berth with First Aid, who was a lot more calm than he was. Both stepped aside so Rung could be set down on the berth.

"How far apart are the contractions?" Ratchet asked pressing on Rung’s frame in a few places before hooking him up to a spark monitor. "Spread your legs, First Aid is going to check your chamber to see if its wide enough to start." As he spoke First Aid was already going to work.

“I think I am getting very close to active emergence. I shouldn’t bee too long.” Rung said, spreading his legs as was requested, opening his panel as well. He looked at Maximus, smiling. “Don’t look so stressed. Soon we will have our sparkling with us.”

It was a little early, but it was nothing horrible. The spark had entered the protoform, so now its chances of survival had gone from ‘zero’ to ‘garenteed’. He squeezed one of Max’s servos, smiling.

“Lets... Ah! Lets name them Dyne. I like that name.” Rung said, wincing as the contractions grew ever stronger.

Max nodded and squeezed his hand before smiling. Dyne sounded like a great name. His nerves were eased and he stayed close by his side while watching Ratchet sit between Rung’s legs and hike them up into the stirrups.

“Ratchet he’s dilated about 7 centimeters. He’s very close now.” First aid said, “Get ready to start pushing, Rang.”

“It’s... It’s Rung.” the psychologist chucked as as First Aid quickly let out a flurry of apologies.

"Alright Rung." Ratchet let out a soft vent. "Push with the contractions. The protoform is large, so take your time. Rushing won't do you any good." He snapped for First Aid to get him some warm cloths. "Keep your breathing up and remember you can stop at any time. Fortress, just keep doing what you are doing." 

"Ready?" Fortress nuzzled Rung before matching his rapid breathing. His optics were wide, and he was anxious to meet his new sparkling. "I can't wait to see it." Both of his finials flapped slightly.

Rung nodded, slowly sitting up on his elbows. “I’m ready.” When the next contraction came he gave a hard push, his face contorting in pain. He stopped after a few seconds, taking several deep vents.

Coolants dripped off his face, and he was glad he had already discarded of his glasses. He gave another push, letting out a soft whine. It really hurt. He squeezed Maximus’ hand, looking at him briefly and smiling. 

Soon he was past the ability to really talk, only letting out various pained sounds. His legs shook as he gave another push, his fans running full blast to keep him cool. Unlike Rodimus though he was quite calm and rather quiet.

“How is the progress? he’s been at it for a while.” Fist Aid said, wiping some coolants off Rung’s brow.

"Almost there." Ratchet sat a hand on Rung’s knee, trying to comfort him and settle his trembling limbs down. "It's moving, slowly, but it's coming. You're doing great Rung. Keep it up." Ratchet looked up at him, giving him a soft smile. "It's almost half way. I know it hurts, but you still have some pushing to go." 

"Here." Fortress held a glass of energon to Rung’s lips, urging to have some. "Just a sip." He tilted the glass.

Rung lifted a hand, holding Maximus’ wrist as he took a sip of the Energon. It felt so very cold going down. He smiled, letting out a glitched gasp at a very strong contraction. He gave another hard push, letting out a staticy cry when the pain reached a critical point.

And then it lessened considerably. He fell back on the berth, venting hard as First Aid quickly got some towels ready.

“The head’s out, you just have one last push and its all over.” he said, wheeling it over.

Rung nodded, giving one last hard push.

Ratchet caught the sparkling as it slid out and it instantly started squirming and screaming. It kicked and wailed as he handed it to First Aid to be cleaned off before returning to Rung and cleaning him up. Setting his legs back down on the berth, he closed his panel cover for him before covering him with a blanket. 

"Congratulations." He said, going over and taking the wrapped up sparkling from First Aid and resting it on Rung’s chest. "Healthy and strong, just like his parents." He smiled when Fort Max’s optics lip up. He looked beside himself as he watched it squirm on Rung.

"Mnng...." His bottom lip quivered before he very carefully took it off of Rung and cradled it. "He's perfect." Coolant tears streamed down the sides of his cheeks and he nuzzled the little bundle. "He's so perfect." He leaned into Rung so he could cuddle the two of them.

“Hmm, he has your colors and body type.” Rung said, noting it had no finials, just a normal looking head shape. Of course, it would be a long time before they had their actual armor. Rung watched Maximus hold their sparking. Dyne was smaller then his hand. He let out a soft vent as he watched a small little servo grabbed the warden’s battered nose. 

Max started laughing when Dyne played with his nose. He couldn't help himself, the joy in his spark pulsed and he kept sobbing with joy. "He's curious, just like you." Kissing Rung lovingly, he handed Dyne back to Rung before Ratchet came back.

Rung slowly wrapped his arm around Maximus’ neck, kissing him softly. “Our perfect sparkling. Little Dyne.” he rested his hand on the bundle, cooing to the sparkling softly.

"Rung, Max, you both can move to the recovery bay. You have to stay the night as protocol, but you are free to head back in the morning." He watched Fortress scoop Rung up with the most care before setting him down in a clean berth with nice warm blankets. "If you need anything, First Aid is on watch tonight." With that Ratchet left them alone.

"Nothing could be more perfect than this moment." Max whispered, watching Dyne's little optics dim. He yawned and snuggled against Rung, instantly falling into recharge. "You should Recharge. You look so tired." Max stroked Rung’s cheek gently.

“I am tired.” Rung mumbled, cradling Dyne close as he offlined his optics, “You recharge too, Max. You’ve been through a lot today.”

Rung carefully rolled over, curling around the little sparkling protectively and falling into recharge.

Max nodded to him and dimmed his optics, but didn't offline them. Instead he stayed up though most of the night cycle, just watching Rung rest. The steady fall and rise of his chassis and Dyne chirping softly now and again and shifting to get closer to Rung. He didn't want to recharge, he didn't want miss anything from this moment.

"I love you so much..." He whispered, stroking his thumb over Rung’s cheek, he leaned back in his chair and finally offlined his optics. Falling asleep sitting up was something he was used to, and he didn't want to cram Rung in the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for the Megatron/Starscream cause that is next!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Lost Light lands, Megatron prepares for the mob that no doubt wants him dead. What he gets is a rat. A rat who tells him Starscream is expecting him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter include sticky sex, some power play, and some drama. Megatron and Starscream do lots of talking.

_“Returning to Cybertron. Miss you.”_

That was the message Megatron finally send to Starscream. It had taken him what? Months to finally do what Rung had suggested? Months seemed right.

After he had sent the message he had gotten his repairs, looking good as new. He over saw Brainstorm’s surgery, the mech having been nearly murdered by Overlord. He had muttered something about his suitcase, but Megatron informed him that it was unsalvageable and what ever was in it was nothing but scrap. The entire lab as well. The scientist had taken the news rather hard. 

Now he waited for them to arrive. Ratchet had called a specialist he had been familiar with, and soon Tailgate would be under heavy monitoring.

The best care in the galaxy for a little waste disposal bot. Times really had changed. 

His tank churned as they landed, expecting a mob to swarm them as soon as they stepped off. However there was only the usual docking crew and a slew of medics waiting to whisk Tailgate away.

However, another mech soon approached him. He was a bit dull in color, a solid brassy tan with very organic looking kibble parts. And when he was spoke he was heavily reminded of some of the odd human accents back on earth.

“Yous Megatron right? Names Rattrap. Lord Starscream sent me to take ya to him.”

He almost laughed. Lord Starscream. It sounded ridiculous. He nodded, following Rattrap to a shuttle, which took them to a rather tall skyscraper, similar to the ones in Vos. It figured Starscream would want to be so high in the air. He was still a seeker after all.

He stepped off and waited as he was told, arms clutched behind his back. He would try not to think over what he wanted. Thinking took to long. He had thought about contacting Starscream and it had taken months for him to send him a message that was barely even two sentences long.

Megatron could not wait another day. He wanted Starscream back in his life. As a lover. As his equal. He didn’t need to think it over.

The doors to the building hissed open and they were escorted inside and up an elevator that seemed to take forever to get to the top floor. There was no doubt that Starscream had a balcony that he used to get in and out of the building so he could avoid others. Something his apartment probably only had. Clever of him if he ever wanted to make a quick escape. 

They stopped by a door at the end of the hall and it opened as soon as they got close to it. Inside was beautiful. A wide living area with a fire pit in the middle of the room. A huge video screen mounted to the wall, and large windows that looked out over the city. 

Standing on the balcony was Starscream, his back to them as they stood in the middle of the room. Rattrap backed off, bowing to Megatron before leaving and closing the door behind them. There was no doubt Starscream hadn't heard them enter, still looking out over the city, his wings drooped slightly.

Megatron wondered how he could get Starscream’s attention. A clear of the throat, a call of his name? No. None of that was familiar. Now that his seeker was before him Megatron wanted something familiar. Domination. 

Starscream may have called himself lord, but Megatron would always be his master. He stalked the mech, appreciating how sleek this new body was. Shame it didn’t have the thighs and hips of the last one, but it was no less attractive. With a dark chuckle he grabbed the drooping wings and tugged, maneuvering Starscream up against a wall. 

Megatron made sure to not be violent. At one time he would have crumpled those sensitive wings. But he didn’t want to anymore. He pressed his lips to them, kissing them gently.

“I missed you.” he murmured, glossa running along the thin metal, his hands grabbing the slim waist. 

Starscream was at first surprised then an angry look crossed his face. A familiar one that he used to give Megatron all the time when he questioned his judgment. He let a hard vent out, blowing the air onto Megatron before pushing him back slightly.

"Did you now?" He didn't pull away from completely, but just enough to show he still wasn't impressed with the larger mech. "You send me that boring message and then you come running up here to grope me? Disgusting pervert." Another hard vent and his optics glistened. 

"Why after all this time, do you send me something like that?" He pushed him off, now going inside of the apartment and crossing his arms. "Why..." There was that wing droop again, but he caught himself and they snapped back up. "Certainly you don't have any use for me." He snorted and turned, glaring at him. 

He watched Megatron carefully, blinking a few times before he finally relaxed and sat himself down on the couch. "Did you find the knights already? I was hoping you would have been gone longer than a year." He played with a seam on his chest, trying to seem cool and collected.

“We didn’t find anything.” Megatron rumbled, joining Starscream on the couch. He tugged him closer, lips only a few inches from his face, “Just a bunch of idiots who didn’t know how to avoid getting sparked.” He closed the gap, kissing Starscream softly.

“And I did miss you.” he growled, mouthing at the Seeker’s neck cables, “I thought about you. About how I failed you.” He groped Starscream’s aft, kneading the red metal roughly, “For a moment I even feared for your safety.” He remembered Overlord’s threat, his engines roaring in anger. That failure was dead now. It didn’t matter.

“You are mine, Starscream. I will always have a use for you.”

Starscream tensed suddenly at the mention of getting sparked. His optics were wide and he didn't pull away at the kiss nor kiss back. Instead he sat their frozen for a moment before shaking himself from his daze. He swallowed hard and leaned away from Megatron, a dark cloud seeming to fall over him.

"So... you just came back because you pitied me?" He said bitterly. "You came all this way to tell me I'm nothing to you except your pleasure bot." Failing to hide the hurt, he turned his red face away. "I knew I should have ignored your message. I knew it..." Pulling Megatron's hands off his aft, he growled. 

"You only fear for my safety because it's no fun fragging a dead seeker!" Gritting his denta, he clenched his fists. After all this time, he had hoped Megatron would at least show some kind of real affection. "You're the same nothing has changed about you."

Megatron growled, grabbing Starscream’s chin in his hands. He shoved two servo’s in his mouth to make sure he could say nothing more. 

“Shut up and listen for once. If we had won the war... I would have made you my queen. Do you understand that?” he pushed Starscream over, crawling over him and kissing him hungrily. He felt the human word fit the role he had wanted Starscream to play. “I would have given you all the sparklings you wanted to make up for the one I failed to protect. I would have worshiped you like a king is supposed to.”

He ran his hand along a wing, gently pinching the tip like he knew the Seeker enjoyed. “Do you know who threatened you? It was Overlord. He told me he would rip you apart.” Megatron kissed down Starscream’s chassis, glossa running along the glass of his cockpit, “You wouldn't have been a dead seeker. He would have made you his whore. Keep you alive. Ripped your wings off so you could never fly again.”

He kissed back up, pressing his lips to the corner of Starscream’s mouth. “You are mine to touch. To frag. To love even. I am your master. And I always will be.”

Starscream yelped slightly when he was pushed down. He gagged on Megatron servos before taking them out to snap at him. Before he could say anything he couldn't help the loud groan that slipped from his lips and his faceplate turned pink. He watched Megatron move down, listening to him carefully. Would he really have done all of those things? At the time he seemed pretty satisfied with having him killed.

"Tsk." He shifted under Megatron, his legs kicking slightly. That glossa felt so good on him, it had been so long since anybody had touched him this way. In fact, the last time anyone had touched him was Megatron. "I can manage on my own." 

He glared at Megatron, pushing on his head to get him away. "I am not the weak seeker who used to follow you around! I am no longer the seeker who looks up to you! Not anymore! I am Lord Starscream! The Chosen- " The kiss to the corner of his mouth stopped his struggling and he looked into Megatron's optics. An angry look still on his faceplate, he flicked his optics away. 

"You wait all of this time to care! All this time... when I was alone back then! You wait till now to try and mend us back together?!" his right optic twitched, his voice cracking and nearing an intolerable pitch. His frame fell still under Megatron and he covered his face, not wanting him to see his optics welling up. "All this time! You Idiot!" He had missed him too.

Megatron crooned comfortingly to the seeker, pulling Starscream’s hands from his face. He kissed his cheeks, hands leaving the seeker’s wrists to hold his slim waist. “I am here now. And I will be here for a long time.”

He pressed his knee to Starscream’s interface panel, grinding against it. He smirked, nipping at the seeker’s lower lip. “And if you want, I will come to you every day to frag you senseless until you are sparked.”

Megatron kissed down Starscream’s frame again, his servos digging into his transformation seams and strumming wires. “And when you are sparked I will stay and care for you and our sparkling. I’ll fill you up with all the transfluid you could ever want.”

A hand left the seeker’s waist to rub his lower torso, imagining the feeling of it swelled. “I think a good name would be Sunhawk. It’s strong.” he paused, looking away briefly as his smile left his face “But, if you do not want that. If the idea of being with me does not suit you... Then I will leave.”

Starscream dimmed his optics before leaning up and kissing Megatron gently. They fact Megatron was even giving him a choice melted any anger he still had. Over time the kiss grew hungrier and he pulled away only when his panel was ground against. It was scorching hot, needy for him and it took everything he had to not open it too quickly. If Megatron really was serious, he was going to have to work for it.

"Prove it you stupid bastard." Starscream whispered into Megatron's audio before kissing a trail down and ending by his optics. His hips twitched and his wings shivered before flexing slightly. It was easy to read him, Megatron knew all his body language since Starscream mostly used his wings. They would flex up when he himself was left untouched, then flex down when Megatron touched his panel. "Fill me. Every drop." He mouthed Megatron's neck, pulling on a cable a few times before biting on it. 

A loud click, and his panel slid open, his spike sliding out between the two of them. It nudge Megatron's own hips, leaving a slick trail of lubricant. His valve quivered in the cold air before clenching on nothing, already oozing out lubricants to prepare for the coming assault. It had been so long since he had retracted his panel, it was like a new experience all over again.

Megatron ran his hands over the quivering wings, humming softly. He had been worried Starscream had changed. But he didn’t. He was still the same, endearing fool he always was. He was probably a horrible leader as well. Or at least incompetent.

He wrapped a hand around Starscream’s spike, pumping it quickly. His grip was hard, almost painful. His own panel slid back, his spike quickly extending. Oh how long it had been since he had fragged this beautiful seeker. He gave a few more hard tugs before  
pressing his spike to the quivering valve.

Starscream gasped, his wings twitching and his face brightening at the hard strokes to his spike. He squirmed, not really prepared for the assault and he couldn't stop the moans and loud cries that escaped him. His fans clicked onto a higher speed, blasting out hot air onto Megatron before he tensed, feeling that spike by his valve.

Megatron smirked, viciously thrusting forwards, all the way to the base of his spike. He held still, letting Starscream adjust before he began thrusting. “You feel just like new. My sweet little seeker, you have not been with someone in such a long time. That makes me happy.” 

Static popped in Starscream’s vision at the first thrust, tossing his head back. There was no scream at first, then that familiar high pitched screech began. His servos dug into Megatron's chassis and he wailed, his valve rippling in agony before it tried to accommodate the size. He forced his valve to relax, gasping when the thrusting started again.

"M-Megatron!" He cried out, drool trailing down the side of his chin as a forgotten pleasure ripped though him. Optics rolling back, he overloaded, hard. His frame jerked up against Megatron, clashing their chestplates together before he glitched and screeched again. His spike shot a hot stream of transfluid between them and his valve struggled to clamp down over Megatron's length. 

Megatron watched Starscream convulse below him. Yes, always a good little seeker, eager for a good spiking. He licked the drool up, kissing the corner of the seeker’s mouth. “Lord Megatron. Say that instead. At least give the old ‘pitiable’ Megatron his title back as he frags you senseless.”

He fragged the seeker through his first overload, sending him offline. He laughed, hands sliding under his knees to press his red thighs to his chest. “Such a pretty creature you are.” he angled his thrusts, hitting Starscream’s ceiling node over and over again.

“Tell me, are you close to your heat? You smell like it. How long have you been in it?” Megatron leaned down, inhaling the sticky sweet smell that wafted from Starscream’s neck.

"T-t-t-two...da-da-ys...Lord M-Meg-AH!-tron" Starscream could barely speak, his vocalizer skipping and beeping as he tried his hardest so say anything. He arched, clawing at the broad shoulder of his master when a second overload smashed into him, sending his processors spinning out of control and his spike spurting a second stream.

Megatron smirked, his servos tracing the seams of Starscream’s chassis. “Shall we merge our sparks? Do you want my sparkling?”

Starscream nodded vigorously, his chassis hissing open and his spark glistened though to Megatron. At first there was no hesitation. It was what he wanted. But soon his expression changed from pure desire, to a worried look. The painful memories of loss filling him, and for a moment he wanted to close his chassis and just let Megatron frag him until he was satisfied. He didn't though. He couldn't deny himself what he wanted.

Megatron admired the glow, his smirk turning into a genuine soft smile. He had not seen Starscream’s spark in well over three million years. He leaned back, allowing his own chassis sliding apart to show his spark. He cupped Starscream’s face, petting his cheek.

“Your spark is just as beautiful as I remember it.” he pulled out wires, connecting them. He did his best to put in affection into the connection, but it was hard to really find it. So instead he opted to show Starscream he meant what he said. He would stay with him and help care for the sparkling.

He would be a good sire.

Megatron resumed his fast brutal thrusts, hitting that sensitive node over and over again, the convulsing of Starscream’s valve becoming far to much. It really had been a long time. With a deep thrust he pierced the seeker’s chamber, overloading inside. He let out a loud roar, holding Starscream still so not a drop of transfluid was spilled.

Wailing with his master, Starscream wrapped his arm around Megatron, a tear screaming down the side of his face as he watched all of the bots on the lost light carry around their sparklings. The pain Megatron felt from watching them flooded his systems and he let out a choked sob. 

All this time, all this time he had cared. He was able to feel guilt, and it made him cry harder into his master. What a stupid slagger this old fool was. He was probably a fool too. He would never admit this though. Hugging him as his belly was filled, he shivered and overloaded a third time, this time knocking him offline for a long time. 

Loneliness flowed from his spark into Megatron's, worry, fear, and love. He was no longer able to hold those feelings in as he went into a momentary reboot. He loved that big stupid brute and his terrible ways of showing affection. He loved it, and he loved him.

When he onlined his optics, everything was blurry. He swallowed hard and inhaled deeply, part of him satisfied at his full tank and the warm feeling it was radiating though his body. He thought he forgot what this feeling was, the ability to feel good.

Megatron let the link linger past the overload, wanting to feel everything. He lovingly stroked Starscream’s wings, patiently waiting for him to awaken again. Starscream had always loved him, though that only made the memories of his betrayal sting all the more. 

As the seeker came too, Megatron finally removed the wires. He rubbed his waist, smirking. He withdrew his spike, hissing in delight at the feeling of the valve push him out. “All that love you feel... Yet you betrayed me.” If he was still the mech he had been in the past, he would have ripped out Starscream’s spark.

But he was not that mech anymore. “It doesn’t matter anymore.” He leaned over his seeker, kissing him gently, “Its good to have you back under me.”

Starscream was panting softly, his optics barely online as he watched Megatron. he blinked once, then closed his panel before turning his head to the side.

"Does it really matter?" He sat up, wincing a bit before rubbing the coolant from his forehead. His valve was going to be sore tomorrow that was for sure. "You made me so angry." His wings twitched a few times and stretched before he got up and sat himself on the couch again. 

"I hated you so much. I hated you because I adored you and you threw me away. Ignored my... Ignored my pain and acted like what happened was a weight off your shoulders. I grew to fear you." He turned his nose up, putting up a haughty facade to hide the guilt he felt for submitting to Megatron. He had originally planned to chew him out and then kick him out. But as always...he won.

“Towards the end you were just someone to frag.” Megatron said, running a thumb over Starscream’s lips, “Your constant betrayals and my... Growing anger and thirst for power killed what we had. But I’m not angry anymore. I’m not that mech. And I don’t think I have anything you want, so further betrayals are unlikely.” he ran a hand over the autobot symbol on his chassis. He would do Bumblebee proud.

Starscream let out a grunt of confirmation, leaning back and relaxing. "You didn't tell me your ship was full of fraggers..." He blushed, assuming Megatron had taken advantage of the valve hungry bots. "While you have been out on your vacation, I have been rebuilding the city."

“I heard you messed up a few times.” Megatron teased, pulling Starscream to sit in his lap. He laughed at Starscream’s obvious jealousy, “None of them could hold a candle to you. No one was a beautiful or as cunning. I was happy to remain celibate. The ship was a mad house. That Rodimus is the exact opposite of Optimus.”

"Shut up. It all worked out. I’ll unite the colonies and Cybertron, you will see." Starscream put his hands over the sides of his head and let out a hard vent. He laughed at the mention of the ship being a mad house. Seemed he had missed a good time, but he was content with what he had currently. "I am glad you returned. 

Starscream finally smiled, leaning into Megatron and letting his engines purr. Primus how he had missed Megatron's warmth. He was so comfortable to sit against, and even more lovely to recharge against. “If you need a place to stay... You can live with me.” The seeker looked up at the former gladiator, optics wide with hope.

“How would Cybertron feel about me living here though?” Megatron asked, kissing the tip of Starscream’s nose, “They may think we are plotting again. May think I will try to take control from you.”

That train of thought was somewhat tempting. Take control of Cybertron. But he liked his new lease on life. It was almost relaxing. And that eased his anger issues. “I am glad I returned too. Now, you rest. I’ll frag you again in a few hours to ensure your sparked.” he chuckled, gently stroking the seeker’s wings.

Starscream rested his head on Megatron's shoulders, chuckling. “You over throw me. Thats funny.” He lifted his hand, flicking Megatron in the nose in a teasing matter. He then scowled, he’d have to explain all this to that hag Windblade. He would ping Rattrap later.

It wouldn’t be hard to get Cybertron to accept Megatron being beneath him as a lover. And if anybody tried to question him, he would tell them he was sparked and Megatron was the sire and he demanded his presence while it was being raised. All he wanted now was to finally feel whole again. To feel the bulge on his stomach. It was just a matter of time.

He fell off into recharge. A blissful look crossed his face, and for once he finally seamed at peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this was a long time in coming. I have two more chapters with them in it, but for now, lets finish up with Drift, Rewind, and Tailgate!
> 
> Cyclonus and Tailgate are next chapter. Expect more drama between them.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tailgate has had enough of Cyclonus being so distant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings for this chapter. Just Tailgate and Cyclonus drama. Cyclonus isn't very good at relationships.

It was getting harder to walk. Harder to breath. The pain in his spark had finally stopped, and according to the specialist it was because the spark had finally migrated to the protoform. He was still uncomfortable though.

Tailgate vented, rubbing his very large torso. He kind of envied Rewind. He wasn’t at all showing and could still walk around and do things. Granted he didn’t do much, but it was still something. He could go on walks through the streets on Cybertron.

But Tailgate just sat here like a rock. A useless rock. And Cyclonus was not helping! Ever since they had gotten to Cybertron he wouldn’t touch him. Hold him. Not even kiss him. He just... Carried him when he needed to move to another part of the apartment or go to an appointment.

It had been slow to develop Tailgate realized now. Cyclonus had grown slowly more distant over the months. At first he had been no more or less affectionate then usual, but then Tailgate began showing. Cyclonus wouldn’t hold him as long, wouldn’t touch him quite the same way. The final nail in the coffin occurred when they landed on Cybertron. Tailgate had made to kiss Cyclonus, and the mech had turn away from him. So now Tailgate was where he was now, ignored.

“Are you mad at me, Cyclonus?” Tailgate asked, avoiding looking at the larger mech.

At first Cyclonus said nothing, just simply looking over his shoulder at Tailgate before back to what he was doing. For a while he still remained quiet, but he could just feel Tailgate staring at him, with that big visor, no doubt welling up with coolant the longer he ignored him.

"What makes you think that?" He turned finally, looking down at his stuffed minibot. Some part of him wanted to push Tailgate over and watch him try and get up, which he probably couldn't with how round he was. "Are you mad at me?" His tone was flat, like it got when he was bored with a topic.

“You... You won’t touch me. You barely talk to me.” Tailgate said, rolling over so he was on his hands and knees. He crawled to the other side of the couch to get a bit closer to Cyclonus, his little hands clutching the arm rest. “You don’t stay for the appointments either. You just leave.”

The minibot huffed, slamming his fists on the armrest. Why did he sound so bored? “I am mad! I am mad at you! Why are you bored with me?” he sniffed, looking away from the larger mech.

He huffed, plopping on his side, the outburst leaving him short of breath. “Forget it. I don’t care.” He reached for a datapad, quietly looking at the scan he had gotten of the sparkling. It looked like Cyclonus. It was a jet type too. He would have shown him, but clearly the mech didn’t care. He had even finally picked out a name, Razorshift.

Cyclonus rolled his optics, finally getting up and moving over to Tailgate. Resting Tailgate’s head in his lap, he half-heartedly pet over his spinal strut. Ever since half term, Tailgate was more hostile and angry. Sometimes he would eat them out of house and home and Cyclonus would wonder where his little body had the room to store all that energon.

"I don't know how to feel about it..." He admitted, glancing at the datapad Tailgate was holding. "What is this?" He tried to grab it. "Let me see, you have been staring at this all day."

“Why do you care? You never stay for the appointments. I know you kept insulting me when you were at Swerve’s. Getaway told me.” Tailgate huffed, holding the datapad close to his chassis, refusing to hand it over. He grew all the more angry. Pushing Cyclonus’ hand off him he scooted away, wiping at his vizor.

“Why do you only touch me when you think its necessary?” Tailgate asked, sniffling again, “Why don’t you hold me anymore? Really hold me like I was the most important thing in the universe. You have not kissed me in over a month. Are you trying to punish me?”

Cyclonus stood up, walking over to Tailgate and lifting him up by his armpits and dangling him from the floor. In this position, Tailgate had nearly no mobility.

"I just said I don't know how to feel about it. What if," he looked away for a moment, growling before looking back to his sniffling minibot. "What if it has your Cybercrosis?" A thought that had been plaguing him. What if it died only a few weeks after it was born and Tailgate was crushed. 

Tailgate kicked his legs, growling as he was held up in the air. He hated when Cyclonus did that. 

“And thats an excuse for making me feel like you don’t love me? For ignoring me? I can barely walk and I feel so uncomfortable and you... You avoid me! You've been breaking my spark for over a month!” the minibot started crying.

"I don't want to be in the appointments....if they find that out. I don't want to hear that my First sparkling...is going to have no chance..." Cyclonus pulled Tailgate to his chest in a loose embrace. All these months he had felt guilty for sparking Tailgate. Guilty that he was possibly putting Tailgate though all these months of pain with no end goal except a small burial. 

He grew exasperated as Tailgate began to cry, pulling him closer and kissing the top of his head before setting him back down onto, avoiding his gaze. Rarely did he open up about how he truly felt, it made him feel to exposed.

Tailgate hiccuped as Cyclonus set him down, spark breaking all over again as Cyclonus continued to avoid him even after he admitted his fears. “Stop it! Stop avoiding me!” he held out the datapad, “Look, look at Razorshift. He’s fine. He’s not hurt at all. His spark is really strong. He’s just not moving cause he has no room!”

Cyclonus knelt down and took the data pad from him, his red optics brightening. It was a tight fit for the poor thing, and some part of Cyclonus felt guilty that Tailgate had to carry them. 

A soft vent escaped Cyclonus, relived it looked like him, which no doubt meant he wasn't going to be a medical disaster like Tailgate. Setting the datapad aside, he leaned forwards and kissed Tailgate on the faceplate before pulling him close and rocking him.

"Tailgate..." He said, massaging the base of Tailgate’s back. "Calm down before you have a panic attack. Slow vents. Shh...." Turning, he sat on the couch with Tailgate pressed to his chest. "Just, rest here. Calm down." He kept rubbing Tailgate’s back before starting to hum a song he had taught him ages ago. "I am glad to see it is going to be a flyer." He plucked some wires in Tailgate’s side, trying to make his sore frame feel better in some way.

“Our sparkling is going to be fine.” Tailgate enforced, “They are strong, just like their sire.” Tailgate’s faceplate snapped back, and he leaned in for another kiss. He continued to cry, coolant tears flowing down his cheeks. 

He snuggled into Cyclonus’ chassis, moaning softly as Cyclonus plucked a few wires. Some of his tension eased, and the mini bot went limp in the larger’s arms. “Can you sing to me? Sometimes when you sang... It felt like Razorshift was pulsing. I think he liked it when you sang.”

Cyclonus leaned in and grazed his lips across Tailgate’s before kissing him back a few times then nuzzling the top of his head. 

"Only for a little while." Cyclonus said before he started to sing softly, only growing louder once in a while before continuing to pluck around Tailgates frame. He centered his focus on the minibot’s back and close to his legs, which he could hear creaking from time to time. Maybe later he would draw a warm bath for him to soak in, Ratchet had pinged him a few days ago and told him Drift had said it did wonders for his spine. 

"Sing with me. Softly, so you don't run out of breath." He whispered, starting to sing slower now so Tailgate could follow him along. He even laced his servos in with Tailgate’s and rocked him slowly before planting little kisses all over him. He had been avoiding Tailgate, but only out of the fear of losing him again. He figured the less he had to see Tailgate crying, the better. But he had been very wrong.

Tailgate nodded, quietly joining in. He nuzzled Cyclonus, giggling softly as the larger mech finally showered him with the affection he needed. He flexed his legs, moaning again as the tension in his back was relieved. Tailgate didn’t really understand Cyclonus very well. He probably never would. He expressed himself so oddly.

“Mmm, I feel better then I have in a long time.” the minibot cooed, turning his head and kissing Cyclonus again. He gave Cyclonus a rarely seen smile, “I love you, Cyclonus. Please, don’t do that to me ever again. I need you or else I feel so hurt.”

He held his hand to his chassis, frowning. “It really hurts, when you avoid me and act distant. It hurts here. Sometimes it feels like I’m going to die.”

Cyclonus stopped singing and let out a loud vent. How dramatic the little bot was. He sighed, continuing to go over Tailgate’s body, he nuzzled him and nipped at his neck before kissing him once more.

"I'm sorry..." He whispered. "I won't anymore. I'll do what I can for you. I'll stay in the appointments from now on. I'll hold your hand if you need me to. I won't leave anymore." He picked Tailgate up and carried him to the washracks, filling a bath and letting Tailgate sink in it before he sat by the tubs edge. 

He dumped special salts into it, which would eat away the gunk stuck in Tailgate’s joints and clean out his systems the longer he stayed in it. Something he had bought after Ratchet had pinged him, hoping Tailgate would use it when he was away. Hopefully this would continue to sooth his pain.

Tailgate let out a soft sigh, the hot water feeling amazing. “Thats nice...” He sagged, almost slipping completely under the water. He felt tired now. He really was a useless rock.

“After I nap... Will you carry me around outside? I’m tired of being inside all the time.” He looked up at Cyclonus, tugging on his hand. “Maybe we can see Rodimus or someone?”

Most of the crew still lingered in Iacon. Only a day after their arrival, Starscream had given those who wanted it housing. It was why he and Cyclonus had such a nice place even though they had not a single credit to their name.

Cyclonus pulled Tailgate up by his arm to keep him above the water before laying on his side and dipping his hand in the warm water. 

"I'll walk you around..." He sighed, thinking about who was close enough to visit. If he recalled Rung lived in this same apartment complex as they did, though a few floors up. Rodimus lived a few blocks away in an even nicer building with Magnus. Tailgate would have to pick who he wanted to visit.

"We can either see Rung or Rodimus, not both in one day. Too much excitement leaves you breathless." He played with the seams close to Tailgate’s neck before starting to wash him. "Then the next day we can visit who you didn't pick." He was tired as well, but kept his minibot company.

“Lets see Rung today.” Tailgate said, his vizor dimming as Cyclonus made to wash him. he leaned against the side of the tub, kissing his chassis, “I didn’t get a good look at... Uh... Dyne, cause we were rushed off as soon as we landed.”

His head nodded, fighting sleep. He huffed softly. “Hmm, will you sleep with me?” the minibot yawned, flexing a few of his joints so the solvent could get between them, “I liked it when you put your hand on my belly. Back when we were still on the Lost Light.”

"I will." Cyclonus said, letting Tailgate soak for about an hour more before draining the tub and pulling him out. With a quick towel dry, he carried the plump bot to their berth room and gently set him down on the berth. 

"Recharge now, when you wake I will take you to see Rung." Laying down by Tailgate, he pulled him close and rested a large hand on the belly. Pressing his servos into one of the wide seams, he massaged it and watched for a while. Eventfully he too fell into Recharge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be the last one for Drift and Ratchet. =)


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drift decides to have a relaxing hom birth. Ratchet is not fully convinced of the methods the speedster is using.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter for Drift and Ratchet. The only warning for this chapter is birth.

Once home on Cybertron, most bots went their separate ways. Including Drift, who still had quite the nice apartment. Spending most of his time there, and occasionally going out to visit Ratchet at the clinic, he spent the last month of his term lazily. 

Two days of constant pain before Drift realized it was getting close to the emergence. Having spent so much time around Ratchet, he knew enough to know the signs. Which was fortunate for him when his energon sack broke mid day and he found himself pleased instead of freaking out. He pinged Ratchet soon after, letting him know how close he was.

Entering his washracks, he filled his deep tub and let himself sink in it. Opening his panel, he let out a loud sigh as the warm water rushed over him. Sinking till the water was half way up his chestplate, he dimmed his optics. The water surprisingly soothed his pulsing valve. He figured an in home emergence was more his thing, the crowding of a med bay chilled his spine.

Ratchet meanwhile was in a bit of a panic, nearly tripping over himself a few times and nearly crashing another on his way over to Drift’s apartment. He was fully intending on taking him to the clinic he worked at as soon as possible.

He thumbed in the code that Drift had supplied him, rushing in. He paused, not seeing Drift waiting. “Kid? Where are you? We need to go.”

He checked a few rooms before finally entering the washracks, huffing. “What are you doing in the bath, Drift? You’re in emergence aren’t you? Are you going to do it in there or are we leaving?”

"In here." He sank in the water until his nose was just above the water. He watched Ratchet for a moment before sitting back up and wincing. "Ahah...It's something I have read other species do. Says its can bring you closer to your offspring. Plus this is a lot more comfortable than a med bay berth." He smiled at Ratchet before coaxing him closer. "I called you here because I want you to help....here. Come on get in." He tapped the water's surface. 

Another hard contraction and he gritted his denta before sinking back lower into the water. The washrack was filled with steam and a few candles burning for atmosphere. Oddly enough, Drift had prepared plenty of towels and a first Aid kit close by. All he needed was the sire to be there to help him. 

"Please." He gave Ratchet the best puppy eyes he could make.

“This looks more like a romantic bath.” Ratchet growled. This definitely was an organic practice. It seemed crazy enough. He gave in, grumbling as he stepping into the hot water and sliding next to Drift.

He maneuvered the speedster in front of him, making him sit on his heels. If Drift was not going to have their sparkling lying down he may as well have them squatting. It was one of the oldest ways to do so.

“If something goes wrong we are leaving for the clinic.” Ratchet ordered, a hand resting on Drift’s abdomen and the other on his thigh. He didn’t like this. It was foreign. And that could be risky. He didn’t want to risk the health of Drift or the sparkling. God damn Drift and his hammy-pammy ‘zen’ bullscrap.

"Relax." Drift leaned back against Ratchet, happy he was here and wasn't dragging him out. "Everything will be fine. I think you need to breath more than I do." He let out a small laugh before another wince and he shifted. "Just let it happen. I wouldn't do it if I wasn't sure everything would be fine." Resting his head on Ratchet’s shoulder, he kissed him under the chin.

He had been soaking for a few hours, not quite feeling the need to push yet, he just assumed when it was ready he would know, or Ratchet would yell at him to hurry it up, either way he was patient.

Ratchet rubbed Drift’s abdomen, kissing one of his finials. “You’re probably still in the early stages of emergence, given you can still hold a conversation.” Those in active emergence either screamed short sentences, simply screamed, or made quiet cries of pain.

He rested his head on Drift’s shoulder, letting out an agitated huff. The water was making him drowsy, and that wasn’t a good thing. He had to be alert.

“Someone needs to worry in this relationship.” Ratchet muttered.

Drift chuckled softly, tangling his servos with Ratchet’s hand on his stomach. He purred softly, putting most of his weight against Ratchet before shivering. 

He shifted, his valve aching. "You don't have to worry so much about me. I can handle myself. I could have popped this little guy out and did a thousand pushups while doing it." His faceplate flushed over time as the pain increased. He let out a soft whimper, squeezing Ratchet’s hand hard. 

"This is nothing." He reached over with his free hand, pulling up a bottle of energon and giving it to Ratchet. "It's high grade. Drink some, you look tired."

“I don’t recommend doing push-ups during emergence.” the CMO said, though he understood what Drift meant. He had survived the Dead End, survived being a Decepticon, and here he was. Having a sparkling.

Ratchet refused the Energon, pushing Drift forward so he was not leaning on him anymore. “Gotta put your weight on your feet when in this position. Forces the frame around your hips wider so the protoform can emerge more easily.

He squeezed Drift’s hand back, kissing his shoulder. Downside to this position was he couldn’t see how dilated the speedster was. “How intense is the pressure in your lower back strut?

"Hurts pretty bad." He let out a pained laugh. "It's gotten worse over time. Why? Need something?" He slid back up, wanting to be against Ratchet. "I can move if you want." 

Ratchet adjusted his hand, feeling Drift’s abdomen a bit more thoroughly. “You should start pushing then, the contractions seem to be getting very intense. And don’t move you moron!” his hands moved to Drift’s wrists, guiding his hands between his legs.

“You will need to get the sparkling out of the water quickly. I don’t know much about organics, but water is not agreeable with the vents of a sparkling.”

Drift shifted, letting out a sharp cry before settling again. Moving too quickly was a bad idea and he found it out the hard way. He cleared his intake and panted, glancing from Ratchet, then down into the water. He could see the outlines of their hands and the bump he had been sporting for months now.

"I hope it looks like you..." He blushed. "You're adorable features."

Ratchet’s hands moved back up to Drift’s waist, holding him steady. “And I hope they look like you. I may be adorable, but you are handsome.”

Drift winced when Ratchet felt around. Coolant dripped down his forehead and he nodded. Taking a few deep breaths, he pushed hard when a contraction came.

"Nng!" He jerked back against Ratchet, letting out a sharp cry before pushing again. Closing his optics, he bared his denta and pushed again and again, having to stop after a while. His whole frame was shaking, trying to keep quiet. A part of him wanted to impress Ratchet with how self controlled he was, but another part of him just wanted to scream. 

“If you need to scream you can. There is no shame in it.” Ratchet said, kissing Drift’s neck, “Once I had a carrier Ultra Magnus’ size emerge a minibot sparkling. He screamed so loud and hard he broke his vocals.”

"O-Okay..." Drift put his head back, opening his optics and looking at Ratchet. "It's....kinda painful now." He shivered again and pushed, his hand tightened on Ratchet’s. "Primus! how did Rung squeeze out Fortress'!?" He said though clenched denta.

The CMO adjusted himself, whispering words of encouragement to the speedster. His hands made a firm downwards stroke on Drift’s waist, encouraging his chamber to push.

“Rung was a trooper. I will give him that. Pretty sure he’d carried before with how well he did.” Ratchet muttered, “I think Maximus had hard time too. Sympathy pains it looked like.”

Drift let out a loud cry, but only one before collection himself again before pushing. All of his concentration going down to his waist and forcing his valve to contract and push. He heaved in air, pushing more and more until he felt some of the pressure suddenly vanish and a dark cloud of energon stain the water.

"I think its....almost here...." Ratchet’s hand pushing on him made it slightly better, and he pushed again, letting out a muffled cry.

Ratchet quickly moved in front of Drift. “It is. You just did the hardest part. The head is freed. You did well, kid.” With another push the sparkling’s frame was freed, He moved quickly lifting the sparkling out of the water before it could take its first vent.

He sighed in relief, cradling the now squawking sparkling. No water got in its vents. Good. He examined the sparkling, looking over its pseudo-armor carefully. No denting or warping. Very good. He went from ‘medic’ mode to ‘new sire’ mode, tucking the sparkling under his chin and holding it gently.

“He’s perfect Drift. Just perfect.” the old mech felt like crying. He sank back down into the water, handing the sparkling over to Drift, though he never stopped touching the squirming thing.

Drift had sank in the water till it was just past his chin, looking exhausted. Whimpering as he sat himself back up, he took the sparkling in his arms and cradled it close. It had medium sized finals and Ratchet’s forehead piece, though they were super tiny.

"You can cry if you want too, no shame in it." Drift said, seeing how emotional Ratchet was getting. He leaned against him so he could play with the sparkling easier. "It's perfect." He whispered before imputing a command in his arm consul for the tub to drain the dirtied water and refill with clean so he could rinse off. "What should we name them?" He whispered, rubbing a servo against its little cheek.

Ratchet sputtered, though he allowed a few coolant tears to fall. He touched the small hand, which had a firm grip. “I’m too old for this.” he muttered, leaning down and kissing their sparkling’s cheek.

“Silverdrive. I think that would be a good name.” he kissed Drift next, smiling gently. He cradled Drift close, chuckling. He scooped him up, setting him on the edge of the bath. “Come on, I’ll tuck you and the kid into bed. Don’t want you drowning in here cause your too tired to stay awake.”

He let the water out, gently toweling Drift and Silverdrive off. He was a bit tired himself, though it was more from the warmth of the water.

Drift brushed Ratchet’s tears away before cuddling against him. His frame seemed to glow with the little bundle in his arms. He was a bit slow to get out of the tub, his valve aching terribly. 

"Are you going to spend the night?" Drift asked hopeful. "Or are you going back to the clinic?" He limped with Ratchet all the way to his berth room. There he had a super large berth with tons of pillows and covers, something Drift loved. 

In the corner he had a crib, in which he set Silverdive down in and kissed him before laying down himself. Instantly his optics offlined but he remained awake. He patted the berth, wanting Ratchet to lay with him.

“Of course I am.” Ratchet said, checking Silverdrive over one last time before pulling a blanket over him and getting into bed with Drift. He wrapped an arm around him, pressing his face into his back, “I’d be a horrible sire if I just left to go back to work. First Aid understands.”

He thought for a bit. “The clinic isn’t too far. I could... Move in with you? Your place seems plenty big enough for both of us and a sparkling.” It was the right thing to do. They were a family now. More so then ever before.

A loud vent came from Drift as a huge smile appeared on his face, rolling himself over to look at Ratchet.

"I have been waiting for you to ask for forever." Kissing him lovingly, he onlined his optics. "Of course you can live here. I insist. Then I can look at your aft all day." His brows twitched, his normal self recovering rather quickly. 

Snuggling against his medic, he offlined his optics and fell into a deep recharge, glad Ratchet was beside him to keep him warm. Having been so used to recharging alone, this was an incredible feeling.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Chromedome and Rewind go on an outing outside, Rewind begins his emergence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings for this chapter save for 'childbirth' and horrible sparkling names.

Rewind had been feeling a bit restless the whole day. He wanted to walk, though he had promised Chromedome he would not go out on his own until he returned from work. So he paced around the apartment.

He turned when his Conjunx Endura entered, running up to him and bouncing on his peds. “Domey, Domey I need to go out for a walk. Lets go on a date!” he took Chromedome’s hand, tugging on it gently. “Lets go look at the stars, maybe get some rust sticks to snack on.”

Chromedome put his hands on Rewind’s wide shoulders to keep him still. A soft chuckle escaped him. He had felt bad for keeping Rewind cooped up for days, he was always so energetic and bouncing off the walls. 

"Alright, alright." He walked around, dropping off a datapad filled with data Prowl ordered him to go over earlier before holding out his hand to Rewind. "The park is open tonight. We can sit there and watch the stars for a while." He grabbed a blanket and tucked it under one of his arms. "No running though, I don't need you tripping and falling again."

Rewind let out a sigh of relief. Finally. He gently pulled Chromedome to follow him. They stepped out of the apartment and down the hall, just seeing new surroundings helped ease the minibot’s processor.

He took a long deep vent when they were finally outside. The fresh air was nice. He rubbed his lower back before stretching a bit. “Finally. I know you want me to be safe, Domey, but I’m older then you are. I can take care of myself. Sparkling or not.”

Chromedome easily kept pace with his minibot, walking by his side and squeezing his little hand from time to time. The park was only a few blocks down, which he was glad for since it gave Rewind the opportunity to stretch his legs.

"I know. I just worry that's all." He leaned down, tapping his faceplate against the top of Rewind’s head before they got to the park. Letting Rewind go, he spread the blanket then sat down on it and pulled Rewind close in his lap. Wrapping his arms around him, he pressed his hands to his stomach and sighed. "I have some candies in my subspace if you want them." He said quietly, looking up into the sky. "How are you feeling? I hope you were not to lonely today while I was away. Prowl has been keeping me busy since we returned."

Rewind settled in Chromedome’s lap, feeling the sparkling shift. “I’ve been feeling really restless. More then usual. I just needed to walk. Walk and sit with you.” the minibot huffed thinking about Prowl. The mech was not being very understanding with Rewind’s sparking. No doubt he would keep Chromedome working even after the emergence.

“I don’t like him. Maybe I’m jealous cause you had something with him before you met me. But I still don’t like him.” Rewind looked up at Chromedome, “I also don’t like that he’s keeping you working so hard when you need to be home helping me. He’s not even around. He just orders you from earth. He should put you in charge while he’s gone.”

The minibot sighed, his back aching again. He tapped on Chromedome’s subspace, smiling as it opened and let him reach inside for a few bits of candy.

Chromedome soft laugh before he nuzzled the top of Rewind’s head. He hugged him gently before returning to petting his stomach which had a very very small bump. 

"Don't worry, I already told Prowl I will be taking time off to be with you." He looked up, his vents letting out some hot air before he settled and relaxed. "That was before, now you are my universe." His voice was low, the soft sound of insecticons chirping followed after as they sat there. 

"Nothing is going to keep me from you during the Emergence, nor the time it is here." He pulled up one of Rewind’s hands, slid back his faceplate and kissed his hand, then each Servo. "Are you going to film it?" Stupid question, but he never knew.

Rewind smiled, watching Chromedome shower him with affection. “You think he’s jealous?” he laughed softly, leaning back into the larger’s chassis, “I hope so.”

Rewind winced, the pain throbbing intensely. He sat up, gasping as energon suddenly began seeping out from behind his interface panel. “Oh dear.”

The minibot looked up as Chromedome, his vizor bright. “Domey, I need you to take me to the closest reputable clinic. Now. Our sparkling is coming.”

Chromedome leaned forwards, his visor brightening at all the energon before he carefully picked Rewind up. Keeping him tight in his arms, he didn't bother with the blanket, leaving it, he would come back for it later if it was still there.

"Ratchet’s clinic should be a few blocks from here." He walked quickly, trying to not jostle Rewind around too much. "I just sent him a Ping on my HUD. Says he will be there by the time we get there." He picked up the pace, hurrying though streets and around buildings until he could see the Clinic.

Bursting in, he nearly knocked Ratchet over, who was quick to guide him over to a bed. Setting Rewind down, he was immediately swarmed by Ratchet and First Aid. Chromedome was forced to sit in a chair by Rewind’s side.

"Still in the early stages." First Aid said, trying to clean up some of the energon Rewind lost. "Give or take thirty minutes and he is good to go."

Rewind laid back, servos tapping on his belly, which he occasionally felt ripple. He reached out and took one of Chromedome’s servos. “Better call Prowl and tell him your about to be a sire.” He just had to rub this in more.

The minibot sounded incredibly smug. He turned back to First Aid and Ratchet, lifting his legs to rest on the medical berth. It was too big for him to put his feet up in the stirrups.

“I read somewhere that bots my size have a rather short active emergence. Is that true Ratchet?” Rewind tilted his head, wanting the medic’s opinion.

"A bot your size usually has a much easier time than most. Especially true considering your going to have a minibot." Ratchet said sliding Rewind down the berth and adjusting it to fit his size better. "A lot less pain, that is for sure." Setting his legs in the stirrups, he waited a moment. "When you are ready you can start pushing or we can wait the extra thirty minutes. Either way you shouldn't have a problem." He pulled up a stool and sat.

"Don't worry, I sent a ping a few minutes ago." Chromedome was nervous. He kept kissing Rewind’s hand and playing with his servos to try and ease himself. He was so excited and worried for Rewind at the same time. "Nothing can take me away from this."

Rewind nodded, looking back at Chromedome. “Don’t be nervous Domey, As long as you are here I’ll be just fine.” Taking a few deep breaths, Rewind started to push in time with his contractions. He hoped he was doing it right. There was only so much you could learn from watching vid-feeds.

At first he felt nothing happen, but then at a particularly intense contraction he felt the sparkling shift. The minibot let out a loud scream, the shock and pain not making for a good combination.

“Ahhh.... Domey!?” Rewind looked at Chromedome, his visor nearly burning white, “Domey I will... I will punch you so hard for this... It hurts!”

Chromedome squeezed his hand even harder, his yellow visor bright. His fans kicked on and he panted in time with his minibot.

"You can punch me all you need to." He nuzzled Rewind for a moment before glancing down at Ratchet. He was hunched over, keeping one hand on Rewind’s shaking legs.

"Keep going, you're doing just fine." He said after Rewind quieted. "Deep intakes. Slow vents." 

"You're doing great Rewind. Just keep going! I know it hurts, but you're doing so well." Chromedome kept nuzzling him and talking to him to try and keep his mind off the pain. "Keep going, I'll scream with you if you like." Both of his hands now clutched Rewind’s.

Rewind bumped his head against Chromedome’s, squeezing his servos tightly. “Don’t... Be stupid! Ah!” the minibot screeched, his voice glitching, “Screaming won’t help me...” He slammed his head back on the berth, curling in on himself as he began pushing again.

He really hoped he wouldn’t need a new valve after this. It felt like he was being ripped apart. He could not believe he had told Tailgate it was better to feel pain. Primus he was stupid.

“If we ever have another you are carrying.” Rewind hissed, his legs shaking as he gave another hard push. He was not sure if he meant it, but he would certainly be fine with that. He gave another hard push, going limp as the pain eased.

"Deal." Chromedome let out a soft laugh, taking a cloth Fist Aid had given him and wiping some of the coolant that had collected on Rewind’s face off.

"The head is out." Ratchet said from between Rewind’s legs. "A few more hard pushes, and he will come free." He gently tugged to test it. "Mhm, just bit more." He already had the incubator and First Aid standing by ready to act once it was out. "Come on Rewind, you can do it. Just a few more. Two more hard pushes for me."

Rewind lifted his head, the red light of his recorder having been on for a while. “I... I need to record this... I have to.” He forced himself to sit up, making sure the recorder could see it all. He gave a final push letting out a soft cry, a mix of pain and joy.

The pain was gone, with only a dull ache remaining. Rewind fought to stay sitting so he could see and record Ratchet hand their sparkling over to First Aid. “He’s so tiny. So small.” the minibot cooed, holding out an arm so he could cradle the tiny creature.

Rewind pulled the sparkling to his chassis when First Aid handed him over, laughing softly. “He has them. Your finials. Oh they are precious. I have just the name for you. Blockbuster. What do you think Domey?”

Chromedome helped Rewind sit up and held him in place so he wouldn't fall back. He let out a hard vent, a soft sound of awe escaping him as he looked at the little bundle. 

"That he does." Very carefully, Chromedome touched one of the finials and smiled when Blockbuster squirmed and yawned. He reached out, touching Rewind’s face and camera before settling back down and offlining its optics. Being a new born was tough work.

"It's perfect for our new little tape recorder." He teased, kissing Rewind on the side of the head.

Ratchet cleaned Rewind up and set his legs down before leaving them time alone with the new spark. As he looked over his data pad, the last bot he knew who was expecting soon would be...Tailgate. He sighed, knowing that was going to be hell, but at least it was the last one he would have to do for a while.

Rewind looked at Ratchet’s back, noting he seemed troubled. Either it was over Drift and his own sparkling, or it was Tailgate. His tank churned with worry for his little friend. Six million years old, yet he acted like someone who was freshly forged. But Tailgate was tough. He could handle a lot.

He was suddenly filled with a sort of glee. Everyone who had a sparkling was still in Iacon. The idea of a playdate was very appealing. He had recorded Seashot and Smokeshot playing a few weeks ago for Rodimus. It had been so cute.

The minibot looked back to Chromedome, turning slightly to ‘present’ Blockbuster to him. “Do you want to hold him, Domey?

"Y-yeah I do..." Carefully taking Blockbuster, Chromedome held him close and slowly rocked him in his arms. This was the perfect moment for him, Rewind safe, his new Sparkling happily recharging in his arms. Nothing could be better than this.

Ratchet came back over and escorted them to a recovery bed, allowing them to settle for a while before he would send them home.

"Stay here a while, when you feel strong enough to walk, you two can leave. If you have any trouble or pains lasting longer than three days, come back and I will check you out." Ratchet looked over Blockbuster once more before leaving them alone.

“Thank you Ratchet. Good luck raising yours. I’ll call Drift some time, kay?” Rewind said, touching Ratchet’s arm before he went back to work.

The minibot turned back to Chromedome, focusing on Blockbuster as he squirmed some more in other’s arms, disturbed by their moving. His vizor flashed a few times, making some soft chirps as he felt around Chromedome’s chassis.

Rewind rested his head on the berth, fully intending to get in a bit of rest. “Keep an optic on him for me. I... Really need to take a quick recharge.” He yawned, though his mask hid it. “He may need to eat soon. First Aid should be able to help...” His visor shut off and he drifted into a light recharge.

"Don't worry, just rest." Chromedome whispered, continuing to rock their sparkling for a long time before getting up and heading to First Aid. Having provided him with a special bottle, he filled it with enriched highgrade energon and handed it to Chromedome.

"Highgrade only for the first few months. Enriched would be even better." The young medic handed over the warm bottle and watched Chromedome nose the tip by Blockbuster’s mouth. He instantly latched onto it, though suckling on it awkwardly for a moment before settling and purring peacefully.

"Thanks." He said before going back to his chair by Rewind and sitting. Slowly, he rocked back and forth, enjoying the quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. Yes I did name their sparking Blockbuster. So sue me.
> 
> Next chapter is Cyclonus and Tailgate. Then the last two chapters will focus on Starscream and Megatron.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tailgate goes into his emergence and a decision is made on how he is to deliver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter is descriptions of surgery. Nothing horribly graphic. I also gave my Transformer OC a really stupid name.

Cyclonus had been true to his word, and was much more affectionate. He realized how stupid it had been to try and avoid Tailgate, to distance himself. It would have only hurt the other more if things had gone wrong.

But things were turning out fine. And he had even begun hope that things wouldn’t end up as some sort of disaster. He still worried of course. The specialist, Ultrasound, had told him that at any moment Tailgate could go into emergence. He knew what to do. Ping Ultrasound and Ratchet, and then go to the main medical facility in Iacon.

“Do you feel like another bath Tailgate?” Cyclonus grumbled softly, his hands running along his minibot’s back strut. He leaned down, kissing his cheek softly. He sat up, gently helping him sit up, “I still have some of those salts left.”

"N-No..." Tailgate said, shifting uneasily. He was in pain, a lot more than usual. Over time it had gotten worse and worse until he was shaking. "I don't feel very well...I don't think a bath would help." 

He leaned back, groaning in pain before rubbing his stomach. Cyclonus rubbing his back made him feel a little better but it soon vanished when a large amount of liquid leaked out of his panel. 

"Ah!~ C-Cyclonus look." He felt a panic coming on, and he started to hyperventilate. "What do I do? What do I do!?"

For a moment Cyclonus panicked as well, though it was completely internal. But then he remembered that this was normal. He kissed Tailgate gently, tweaking some wires he had been instructed to touch if the emergence began. it would ease pain and calm the little bot down.

“You do nothing as I take you to see Ultrasound.” Cyclonus said, standing up and whisking Tailgate out of their apartment. It was less then a block away from the facility. He pinged Ratchet and the specialist as he ran down the street.

He skidded to a halt out side of the front entrance, sending up sparks. Ultrasound was already there, no down on his rounds when the ping came in.

Ultrasound was a standard sized mech with sweeping finials and lanky build. His face held the same dower, heavily browed look that Cyclonus’ often did, though his optics were a dull yellow and not the blazing red that his were.

“Ratchet is half way here. We can not wait, so a nurse will bring him to us when he arrives.” the medic motioned for Cyclonus to enter, “I have a berth waiting for him. We will asses if a natural emergence is possible.”

Tailgate held fast to Cyclonus, coolant leaking out of the bottom of his visor, he couldn't help himself. He had broken down and sobbed half way and finally calmed back down once they arrived. Though it didn't last long and he was fidgeting all around in Cyclonus' arms.

"What happens if I can't have it...normally?" He squeaked, his vocalizer skipping in some areas. "Will I pop! Cyclonus am I going to pop!?" He grabbed the mechs horns, nearly hanging from them as he refused to be put on the berth right away. Though every part of him felt exhausted already and he let go with an easy tug. "I'm scared..." He whispered, covering his face to hide from Ultrasound and Cyclonus' view. 

After a moment, he peaked out and looked up at Cyclonus, wanting nothing more than his big mech to hold and cuddle him. His spark felt like it was going to burst from his chassis the more nervous he became. He reached out, snagging Cyclonus' hand and squeezing it as tightly as he could.

Cyclonus had to fight the urge to roll his optics. He turned Tailgate’s small hand over, petting it gently. “No, you will not pop.” he said softly, “I imagine surgery will be the only option if natural emergence is not possible.” he looked to Ultrasound for confirmation.

“That is correct. Surgery would be the only option.” Ultrasound said, a nurse pushing machines over to them, “I’m going to do a few scans, Tailgate.” They medic’s yellow optics glowed warmly before going dull again.

Cyclonus continued to pet Tailgate’s hand, briefly looking over to a monitor at the other end of the room. On it, ‘Lord’ Starscream could be seen making an address to the entirely of Cybertron and its territories. He scowled when Starscream stepped aside and motioned to Megatron, who stepped up beside him.

Cyclonus could not hear what was being said from across the room, but no doubt it was rousing, as the crowd before the seeker went into a frenzy. He turned more as he watched Megatron fall to a knee. A pledge of allegiance. But Cyclonus saw the smirk on the former Deceptcon’s face. It was a rouse. Either the pledge was to keep the crowd pacified or the pledge itself was fake.

He turned back to Tailgate, the monitor no longer interesting him.

"S-s-s-surgery!!! Tailgate fell back on the berth, his visor dimming out. "This wasn't in the videos Rewind showed us." He sniffled, scared half to death. 

"I reattached your legs and you're afraid of this?" Ratchet said as he entered the room, looking over Tailgate before pressing down a few times on his stomach. No doubt it was a tight fit in there. He guess even the sparkling was feeling just as uncomfortable as Tailgate was. 

"Don't worry Tailgate, out of all the bots in the past months who have had a sparkling, you are the only one who gets off the hook. In pain that is. You will be offline while it is happening. When you wake, your Sparkling will be waiting for you. And Cyclonus, right Cyclonus?" Ratchet eyed the larger mech, noticing him glancing at the monitor now and again. 

Ratchet stepped aside so the scans could be done, while that was happening he helped get the surgery theater ready to work in.

“Ratchet is right. There is nothing to fear.” Ultrasound said, motioning to the nurse to take the equipment away, “I have preformed the surgery thousands of times. Ratchet shall be joining me as well. So you will have two fine doctors looking over you.”

“And I will be watching them and making sure they do not mess up.” Cyclonus said, kissing Tailgate’s hand. He confirmed Ratchet’s statement. “When you wake up I will be by your side, Razorshift in my arms.”

Ultrasound took a syringe that was offered to him, preparing an energon line on Tailgate’s neck. “This will stop your emergence from going any farther. The contractions hamper surgery.” he slipped the needle in, rubbing Tailgate’s chassis to sooth any panic.

"Ow!" Tailgate jerked away a bit from the sharp prick, his hands curling into fists before some relief followed shortly after. Having Ratchet there did help ease his anxiety. If there was one doctor he trusted, it was him. 

Tailgate enjoyed Cyclonus' petting and kissing, if only he had done this beginning, things may have gone much more smoothly for him. Or not, knowing him. 

“So, natural is not an option.” Cyclonus said, a look of guilt crossing his face briefly.

"I-Its okay Cyclonus." He tried to look at him while the doctor worked. "Don't be upset. Be happy, we are going to see Razorshift soon. As long as he is okay I'm okay." Pulling Cyclonus' hand close, he tapped it against his faceplate in his version of a kiss since he couldn't seem to focus enough to slide it back. "I'm still really scared, but I'm ready."

“I did this to you Tailgate. Put you in months of pain. I am guilty of hurting you.” Cyclonus said, watching Tailgate try to kiss his hand, “I have hurt you... So many times. I do not know how you find it in yourself to keep forgiving me.”

“I’m afraid the two of you will have to save this for later.” Ultrasound said, having a few nurses prepare the berth for transport to the surgical theater, “A nurse will direct you to the observation lounge.” He allowed Cyclonus to give Tailgate one last kiss before they left.

Tailgate waved to Cyclonus as he was taken off, blowing kisses to him before laying back down. His panic was coming back now, he felt alone.

Ultrasound quickly led the team to the theater, going into a decontamination chamber to kill any foreign contaminants. “Are you ready, Ratchet? Have you done a surgery like this before?” the mech asked, watching as Tailgate was moved to the operating berth.

"Yes, I have." Ratchet snorted, he was ancient, if he hadn't done this kind of thing it was because it never existed. There was a reason he was the Chief Medial Officer. "This will be an easy procedure. Shouldn't take us more than an hour to complete." He put a gentle hand on Tailgate’s shoulder. "Don't worry, you are in good hands. I will take care of you I promise." He turned his back to Tailgate, letting the nurses take over to prepare him. 

Tailgate offlined his visor, not wanting to watch anything that was happening. He figured if he even caught a glance at any of the tools they would be using he would try to make a break for it. Cyclonus would be mad at him if he tried something like that. More than anything he wished he was at his side just like when he was sick and dying. More than anything did he wish he was next to him singing to him to calm him down. He started to hum to himself nervously.

“Good. I just wanted to be sure you could assist me properly.” Ultrasound said, approaching the berth and opening a console. He looked to Tailgate, helping a few nurses hook the minibot to a spark monitor. He looked around, the energon transfusions were ready to be administered when needed, tools were to his right, just where he liked them. He looked up to the observation lounge, Cyclonus already there and pressed against the glass.

“I want you to look at Cyclonus and count backwards from ten. The berth you are on will put you into stasis.” Ultrasound said softly, his optics glowing a soft yellow again. He pressed a button. “Begin counting down now.”

Lighting his visor back up, Tailgate looked up to find Cyclonus, locking optics with him and swallowing hard.

"O-Okay..." Tailgate squirmed on the berth, all the wires irritating him slightly. "Ten." He could feel a warm sensation creeping up his spine, "Nine..." Before he knew it he was struggling to keep his visor online and it flickered a few times. "Eight..." His vocalizer slowed down, dropping low before cutting out. With another second his visor offlined and his entire frame relaxed on the table.

"He's out." Ratchet turned from the Spark monitor, moving in close by the table before looking to Ultrasound and nodding to him. "We can start now."

Ultrasound, took a few more quick scans, putting them to memory so he could recall where the sparkling was situated. He began to remove Tailgate’s armor, exposing the protoform underneath.

He held his hand out to a nearby nurse. “The torch please.” his hands wrapped around the tool and he activated it, slowly cutting along Tailgate’s seams so the frame could be lifted away easily.

“I like using tools more then having them built in.” Ultrasound said, looking up at Ratchet, “Lift the frame up so I can access his chamber.”

Ratchet shrugged and did as asked. Lifting Tailgate's frame just enough, he glanced in and watched the doctor work.

"It's better for field medics to have them built in. Losing a bag of equipment is common. Better to keep as a part of you." For a field medic it worked, for a dead field medic it didn't, but Ratchet had lived and battled long enough to know how to keep himself alive. "To each his own." 

He glanced up at Cyclonus, giving him a hopeful nod. The purple mech had himself pressed so hard against the glass he figured he would fall though at some point. "The sparkling is going to be as big as this kid." Glancing down at Tailgate’s offlined visor, he sighed. "What the hell were they thinking....any of them." Though Drift was a surprisingly good Carrier, and Rodimus showed signs of improvement as well. Rung was the only one he had faith in really.

“This one was particularly foolish.” Ultrasound said, nodding to a nurse to begin a line of energon, “I don’t know what the sire was thinking. He’s older then the war, old enough to have seen a Metrotitan. Clearly he should have known his size would cause issues. If they plan to have another I think the roles should be reversed.”

He felt the chamber, the normally flexible mesh pulled taunt. It was pressing on major fuel lines that leg to the legs. The fact the minibot could even move his legs shocked him. He exchanged the torch for a laser scalpel, carefully cutting.

“Peel the mesh back. I’ll pull the sparkling free.”

"Yeah well, the Lost Light was a circus." He kept a close eye on how the doc cut Tailgate’s chamber. "He's the last one so I'll be relieved once this is over and I can go back to doing what I normally do." Yelling at Drift for knocking things over his with swords and at their Sparkling to not chew on so many of his data pads.

"The incubator is to your left once it's out. I'll clean it off and head up to Cyclonus with him while you weld Tailgate back together. I'll move Cyclonus to Tailgate’s recovery room, so I'll meet you there when this is over." Ratchet pulled the mesh back carefully while the nurse worked around him, starting the energon line into Tailgate’s neck.

“Clearly it was.” Ultrasound said, gently pulling the sparkling free, “Jetformer, white and purple coloration. Proper size considering the Sire.” His servos worked over the sparkling, which only let out a few soft chirps in response.

He set the Razorshift in the incubator, a nurse quickly rushing forward to manipulate the sparkling’s frozen joints. “He will have trouble moving for a few months. There was no room for him to flex when the spark migrated.”

Ultrasound nodded to Ratchet, pulling the chamber closed and putting a patch over it to help it heal. “Get going. Take over for the nurse and make sure the joints move smoothly.”

Ratchet moved over the sparkling, cleaning it off and oiling its joints. Carrying Razorshift to a different room, he worked with it for a few minutes until it was able to stretch its legs and arms out. 

It cried, the movements painful, but necessary as Ratchet worked. Making sure none of its joints were damaged, he wrapped him in a lose bundle and carried him down the hall to see Cyclonus.

"Cyclonus..." Ratchet pushed open a door with his free hand, looking for the large mech. "Your sparkling is here." Obvious since he had watched it all happen. "There are some things you are going to need to do for him." He walked over to the purple mech. "Every day you need to move his arms and legs, stretch him and his wings." He offered the bundle to him.

“Were there any complications?” Cyclonus asked. His optics were burning so brightly that they were nearly white. He was clearly worried, even if he face did not show it.

The old mech took the bundle in his arms. When he had seen Razorshift delivered, he had seemed so big, but now he saw his sparkling was tiny, easily fitting in his two hands. “I understand.” he said, cradling Razorshift close to his chassis.

"No complications at all. Tailgate will be fine. No doubt sore for some time, but the bath salts you said you were using will help." Ratchet turned and walked to the door, wanting to let Cyclonus have time alone with his Razorshift.

Cyclonus nuzzled the weeping sparkling, Razorshift still in pain from having his joints worked. The mech began to sing softly, recalling Tailgate said he liked it.

Razorshift kept squirming, screeching and kicking before his optics looked at Cyclonus. He hiccuped and quieted, listening to him before finally settling in his arms. He chittered once in a while, letting out soft whistles to Cyclonus before he finally slipped into a recharge. 

Ultrasound came in, having a nurse push the berth in, setting it by the wall. "Here is Tailgate. He will still be asleep for another hour or so, so don't try to wake him. You two are cleared to leave in about two days. If anything happens...ping me." the medic said before pacing a hand on Cyclonus' shoulder and leaving.

Cyclonus pulled up a chair, sitting next to Tailgate. He laid Razorshift next to him, running his claws over the sparkling’s pesudo-armor before taking Tailgate’s hand. He resumed his singing, dropping the old war ballads and instead singing a lullaby.

He worried silently. Would Razorshift be crippled? Cyclonus cursed himself for being so stupid. He would never get drunk again, least this happen a second time.

He had messed up so much in his life. He didn’t want to ruin this.

About an hour and a half passed by before Tailgate let out a soft whimper. His visor dimmed online and he started at the ceiling a moment, confused at where he was.

"Cyclonus?" He felt something in his hand and squeezed it, realizing the shape was familiar. Cyclonus' hand. "Cyclonus..." Turning his head, he looked at the purple mech then down at the little bundle. 

"Oh~" Slowly, he rolled onto his side and wrapped an arm around Razorshift. "Look at his little horns!" He tried to contain his excitement. "Cyclonus he is perfect!" Nuzzling the bundle, he started to sniffle. "Urh...my stomach is killing me."

“Don’t move.” Cyclonus ordered, his free hand petting Tailgate’s face, “Your welds are still fresh. You could open them.” He stood up, leaning over Tailgate to gently kiss him.

Razorshift whined, his optics flickering as he was roused from his recharge. He squirmed in the blankets, his attempted movements only making him cry again. Moving was so very painful for the sparkling. He let out pleading chitters, calling for his carrier.

“Hold him close Tailgate. Your warmth will sooth his discomfort.” Cyclonus whispered, leading the minibot through the steps needed to calm the sparkling. He didn’t want him to panic. “Pet his head and sing to him.”

Pulling Razorshift close, the mini rocked him and hummed, wrapping some of the blankets back around him. 

"Shh, you're alright. I'm here now." Tailgate cooed, nuzzling the bundle a few times before kissing him. "I'm sorry I didn't have more space for you to grow." He continued to hum, then rock him some more. "But now you will have all the room you need. I'll make sure of it." He slid over the best he could on the berth, wanting Cyclonus to join him. 

"An oil bath will do you good. It felt great on me." He said to Razorshift letting him chew on his servo. "Warm bath, and some energon and you will be kicking around in no time." He let out a soft vent, relieved his own pain was over, but now his spark ached for his sparkling.

Cyclonus hesitantly climbed onto the berth, Razorshift between them. Tailgate was a natural. Cyclonus had seen some carriers glitch out and never have the coding activate. It rarely ended well. But clearly he had no need to worry about Tailgate rejecting their sparkling.

“I could go for one too. We will all take one together.” Cyclonus whispered, leaning down and kissing the top of Tailgate’s head, “And we will all go to recharge together too.” He didn’t want his little family out of his sight. He loved them. He loved them so much.

“I love you Tailgate. I love you and our sparkling. More then you can ever know.” Cyclonus said, finally saying it louder then a whisper.

Shocked, Tailgate stared up at Cyclonus. He had been more affectionate in the last few weeks, but this was breaking barriers. Coolant seeped out from under Tailgate’s visor and he tried his hardest not to start bawling.

"Nn...C-Cyclonus. It took you long enough to actually say it." Nuzzling against the mech, he kissed him on his sharp cheek and rubbed his visor with the back of his hand. "I love you too Cyclonus. I love you so much. I love Razorshift so much. I'm so happy." he dimmed his visor once more, though his body seemed to glow with glee. Everything had worked out for him, now it was just time and patience to help Razorshift feel better as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is the last chapter for Tailgate and Cyclonus. I both adore and hate the name I cave my OC. Ultrasound. Amazing.
> 
> Next two chapters will be about Starscream and Megatron!


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ratchet gets sucked into Megatron and Starscream's personal life, and agrees to be their doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter are basicly for sticky sex.

Rattrap stepped out of the shuttle, looking up at the clinic sign. He did not understand why Lord Starscream couldn’t just get the doctor he had been using. Why did they need this one?

Well, he did know why it was this one. Because Ratchet was the only doctor Megatron trusted. Which was funny, considering they had been enemies. He quickly strode in, approaching the mech that matched the description.

“Are yous Ratchet by any chance?” he asked, “I got orders from Lord Starscream that yous need to come to his tower really quick.”

Ratchet turned and looked down at Rattrap. At first he thought he was just another walk-in until he mentioned Starscream. This could only lean down a road that wasn't good. He couldn't even be back on Cybertron for two months without hell already breaking lose for him. 

"Yes...that's me..." He waved First Aid to leave them alone in private before stepping close to the rat. "What does he need...in particular.” He was aware of him and Megatron holding their speech the other day. Seemed the love faded quickly. Did he already tear off Starscream’s wings? His arms or legs? Or even better, his head? What could possibly be so important they they decide to send for him and not just come to him. Was he scary? Sometimes. "Alright...but this better not be a waste of my time."

“It shouldn’t be, doc. Starscream should be pay’n ya for yer time. Megatron don’t want no one else to check up on him. Being real paranoid you know?” Rattrap motioned to the door.

“Ya hear the speech Starscream gave yesterday?” at the medic’s blank face the mech continued, “Well, Starscream held it ta announce his sparking, and the identity of the sire. It was Megatron course. So he also had him swear allegiance ta him so there was no rioting.”

Rattrap laughed. He recalled a few mechs screaming ‘All hail Lord Megatron’. Apparently some still wanted him to lead. “Come on now. We can’t keep em waiting. I gots a shuttle all ready.”

Ratchet face palmed, a part of him irritated and just plain tired of the overall stupidity happening around. He needed more medics around so he wasn't the only one bots could rely on.

"I saw it...didn't hear much of it. I had my hands full delivering a sparkling..." He walked with Rattrap. "I'll see what I can do but I have heard stories about those two. How does Megatron go from hating Starscream to loving him?" He shouldn't even have bothered to ask.

“I wouldn’t call it love.” Rattrap said, letting Ratchet get in the shuttle first, “Lotta fighting going on. Megatron’s got Starscream callin him ‘Lord’ and ‘Master’ again, too. But I’ve never seen the seeker happier so who knows.”

The fights were verbal and over practically anything. The fights happened at least three times a week. Other then that, they did seem to be the picture of bliss. Starscream fawning over Megatron and Megatron doing the same in turn. Megatron certainly wasn’t hitting the seeker or anything.

Rattrap gave the front seat of the shuttle a hard kick, signaling the driver to get going.

The shuttle lifted off, heading for Starscream's tower. Which only took them a few minutes to get to before landing on the roof. Opening its hatch, it let them out.

"So it's a love hate relationship." Ratchet stepped down the ramp, not sure what he was going to expect just yet. If starscream wanted to be sparked, he wondered if Megatron had some kind of plan. Or maybe he was just as stupid as the rest of the Lost Light. Either way he was here to just do his job and get everything over with. 

"Let's see what I can do for him then." Heading into the building, they walked down several halls before stopping at Starscream’s suite. Ratchet knocked only two times then waited, not even glancing at Rattrap once.

Rattrap rolled his optics, simply activating the door. It slid open and he stepped in. “I brought the doc like ya wanted, Megatron.

Megatron looked up from his spot on the couch, Starscream perched on his lap. The seeker was pouting, looking at the medic out of the corner of his eye.

“Welcome Ratchet.” Megatron said, motioning to the couch on the opposite of them, he noted the medics annoyed look, “I’m sure you would rather be anywhere else but here, but I need someone I know won’t try to kill our sparkling.” 

The former decepticon nudged Starscream. “Let him have a look at you.”

Stepping in, Ratchet walked over and stood a few feet from the couch, his arms crossed and optics dimmed. He didn't often make house calls, but he didn't really have much of a choice. 

"Trust? There are plenty of other medics around who are more suited to this kind of thing. I don't think anybody would go as low to take out the sparkling." Despite Starscream’s past with once getting shot in the stomach, but that had been a mistake. 

"Did Starscream ask for this, or did you?" He could tell the seeker was not amused in the slightest. The way his wings tipped up and were tensed signaled his irritation. "You could have always just come down to the clinic instead of calling me up here."

“Starscream agreed to it. He understands that people want me to suffer. What better way then to kill my sparkling or my mate?” Megatron said, physically moving Starscream off his lap. He pat the seeker’s aft, which earned him a loud huff, “Stop wasting his time. He doesn’t want to be here any more then you do. If you want him gone then hurry up.”

Starscream wrinkled his face at Megatron, but stepped up to Ratchet. He curled his lip up in a sneer. “Good to see you again.” he groused, “I need to know if I am having only one sparking or a trine. As well as an assurance there are no issues.”

Ratchet gestured for Starscream to sit down, then he began to feel down his neck, touch the seekers wings, then down to his stomach were he tested some of the seams. Starscream was in good overall health, his frame was perfect, polished, and shimmering. No doubt he would make a fine carrier. 

"You look healthy." He pulled a datapad from his subspace, pressing a few buttons before scanning Starscream. Scanning him, he could see a small form in his chest, and an even smaller form in his chamber. "It's there all right. Open up your spark chamber so I can get a look..." He moved closer to Starscream, getting down on his knees to he would be level with him. "Last thing I need is another bad rotation of the sparkling."

“Of course I am healthy.” Starscream snapped, “I must look my best.” He huffed at the singular term used. He looked disappointed. “Only one?”

“Be glad you get that many. Don’t be ungrateful.” Megatron retorted, leaning back and stretching his legs. He was eyeing Ratchet closely, still a bit paranoid. He wanted this to work.

Starscream wrinkled his nose, scoffing. “Its probably your crummy ground pounder coding thats messing this up. A seeker should have a trine.” he snapped, opening his chassis and exposing his spark. He ignored the low growl Megatron gave. “Well? is the orbit satisfactory?”

Ratchet pushed his hands in, feeling the heat from the little sparkling, it was still early in the stages so it stayed hidden behind Starscream’s spark. 

"It's still early, you can form two more in the next month if you try hard enough. But from your medical report is says your chamber was damaged. Which could stop the formation of more than one." Ratchet pulled his hands out and let Starscream close his chest. "I recommend only keeping one, even if your chamber was repaired..." He noted some things down on his data pad before putting in an order of the mineral energon for Starscream. 

"Other than that everything looks fine. Perfect in fact." _As long as you don't get shot_ , Ratchet thought as he kept scrolling through the medical history. "When you reach 4 months in, you are grounded. You will still able to transform and fly, but medically you need to be on the ground. Less you crash and kill yourself and the sparkling. It's better for you to walk."

“And why should I not have a trine if I want to?” Starscream asked, his voice getting increasingly high pitched, “Are you implying something you old bucket head?!”

Megatron rolled his optics, reaching out and yanking his seeker back over to him by a wing. “Shut up. Your voice is annoying.” he growled, giving the sensitive wing a long, almost obscene stroke. He turned his attention to Ratchet. “Starscream had his chamber replaced long ago. His frame was also, clearly, up-graded. He should be able to hold a trine easily.”

Starscream huffed, turning his nose up at the two of them. However he made a loud shriek at Ratchet’s comment. “I do not crash! My form is flawless!” he seethed, his wings trembling, “And I am not foolish enough to fly anyway. It adds unneeded strain to my sparklings. I’m not a fool.”

"Then you are free to try for as many as you like. You will have to do another spark merge to prompt the spark the split. Do it during some down time and hold it for about two hours." Ratchet put his datapad back into his subspace before crossing his arms. "And I was just saying. You would be surprised how many Seekers fly when they are not supposed to. They get tired of being on the ground and take off for just a few hours. I end up having to pull them from buildings and the ground more often than you think."

Ratchet shifted his weight onto one hip before letting out a soft vent. How Megatron could put up with Starscream was beyond him. He would have punched him out by now, and it was only going to get worse. The longer he was a carrier, the moodier he would get. For Megatron's sake he hoped he was a mushy one like Drift. 

"Just, drink the mineral fuel and everything will be fine. I don't see anything wrong so you should have no problem carrying to term."

“I’ll keep him on the ground.” Megatron said, continuing to pet Starscream’s wing. He suddenly gripped the wing and he growled. “I’ll tear these off if I have to.”

Starscream seemed unaffected by the threat, tossing his arms around Megatron’s neck. “I’m sure you would Lord Megatron.” he cooed, the lord sounding sarcastic. The seeker turned back to Ratchet, a sincere smile on his face. “Thank you. I’ll be sure to transfer some money to you.”

“Yes. Thank you. If you have a doctor you think is better suited for this kind of thing, I would like to know.” Megatron said, a hand rubbing up a down Starscream’s side.

Ratchet shrugged and turned his back to them. If he even tried to find a different doctor they would no doubt run for the hills when they found out who he was referring them to. Maybe it was best to just follow through with Starscream how bad could it be. He had already lived on the Lost Light, delivered most of the crews Sparklings...why not three more.

"No I'll carry out the deliveries, just try not to kill each other when the time comes. I have enough work as it is and I don't need to be welding his wings back on half way through." He glanced over his shoulder before leaving the suite and closing the door.

“Starscream will be very much alive when the time comes.” Megatron said, patting Starscream’s side, “And thank you Ratchet. I’ll be sure that he is well behaved if you ever come by again. I know he can be... Intolerable at times.”

He watched the medic leave, his smile falling off his face as he turned to Starscream. “Crummy ground pounder coding? Why bring that up when you consented to having my sparkling?”

Starscream looked away, arms crossed and a pout on his face. His wings flicked up and he just rested against Megatron.

"I was just expecting a trine that's all. Don’t be so insulted. I was in one and it’s what I want for them." Like Ratchet said, they still had time to seal the deal and get three if they wanted to. Plus with the way Megatron had been fragging him it was a high possibility he would spark another. "Just forget it." He stretched, leaning back and kicking his legs up onto the couch.

“Were you? Who are your siblings? Were they Skywarp and Thundercracker?” Megatron took Starscream’s hand into his own, kissing up it slowly. He stopped at the seeker’s neck “Hmm... Hard to forget such an insult.”

With that he sank his denta into the cabling, drawing energon. He sucked softly, his hands going up to pinch Starscream’s wings. After a while he pulled away, his lips smeared with a soft pink glow.

“Hmmm. Your Energon always tasted wonderful.” Megatron licked his slips slowly.

Starscream gasped, but didn't pull away. Instead he groaned, his mouth hanging slightly open before his wings twitched from the pinch. He shivered and let out another soft groan, his fans kicking on high speed already. 

"Tsk. I was not in that kind of trine." He looked Megatron over, "I was constructed cold. They were born from one of Vector Sigma’s pulses. The trine bond was initiated between us after our forging." He growled to himself before nuzzling his face under Megatron’s chin. He didn’t know where any of them were now. Maybe back on Earth? A part of him missed them. “The trines formed from triplets are some of the strongest there are. They are practically sacred and thats what I want.”

"You sure spilled enough of it to have acquired a taste for it." He nipped at Megatron's neck cables, though not as hard as he had. "If only you thought the same of my valve."

“I love how your valve tastes.” Megatron hissed, a hand sliding along Starscream’s thigh, “You were just never behaved well enough for me to give you such a wonderful treat. Always scheming behind my back.”

He tapped the seeker’s interface panel. “But you have been very good these past two months.” he smirked, “Beg to your lord and master, and he will suck your node until you fall into stasis.”

A smirk crossed Starscream's faceplate and he spread his legs just a bit wider and clicked his panel open. The heat from his valve radiated down onto Megatron's lap as he squirmed in his spot.

"Master." He leaned close to Megatron's Audio, "Eat me out like a starved Turbo fox." He purred, grinding himself down into the lap as much as he could. "Please Master~" His wings sagged and rubbed against Megatron's chest. 

"You are already making my valve so wet, don't leave it unattended." Sliding his own hand down, he ran two servos though his valve, his faceplate turning pink. "Come on you old coghead." He bit his lip, shivering as he slid one servo inside.

Megatron’s engines revved, grabbing Starscream’s wrist and pulling his hand away. He opened his mouth, taking in the servos the seeker had been using to pleasure himself. He sucked on them softly. Oh yes, Starscream already was wet. He could taste the lubricants.

“Very good. Now I will uphold my promise.” he pulled away, sliding to the floor. He admired Starscream’s valve, polished and utterly delicious looking. Oh yes, he never did this enough. He leaned down, glossa slowly sliding up one side, then down the other.

He hummed, his own fans clicking on. His hands held on tightly to the seeker’s slender waist, holding him still as his lips latched onto the outer node, sucking roughly.

"Ah!" Starscream's hips jumped, though not far as Megatron's grip was firm. He panted hard, grabbing the couch for support before shifting a little to get his legs more apart for his master. That glossa made him feel like he was going to go crazy. Warm and slick against his pulsing valve, he wasn't sure if he wanted this anymore or his spike.

"More...." He said through quivering lips before letting out a vent of hot air. "Please more." His wings quivered as his node throbbed painfully. Perks of being a carrier, everything related to ones interfacing panel was super sensitive. The smallest touch would have him begging for more in seconds, plus this was Starscream, he was always begging no matter what. "Master please." His face twisted, and his peds curled against the floor.

Megatron pulled away a little, his glossa oh so lightly and slowly toying with Starscream’s outer node. “Lord Megatron. I want you to chant that. Like you used to back on the Nemesis.” He briefly wondered what became of his old ship, but he pushed that to the back of his processor. This was more important.

He latched onto the node again, his glossa flicking it between long sucks. He bared his denta, giving the node a soft bite before sliding back down to the quivering valve lips, sucking up all the lubricants he could. Megatron looked up at Starscream, smirking at his dazed look. One optic half shuttered and the other wide. A bit of drool running from the corner of his mouth.

Beautiful. He opened his mouth, enveloping the whole of the seeker’s valve and sucking, glossa delving in between the mesh with slow firm strokes.

"Ah-ha!~" Starscream bucked again and grabbed Megatron's head. "L-Lord Megatron!" His legs kicked out and he squirmed. What a delightful feeling it was, and such a rare treat. He couldn't even remembered when he last got something this special.

"I'm so hot Lord Megatron..." He threw his head back, crying out a pleasure rippled though him. His valve pulsed against Megatons mouth, welcoming him into it happily. "I need you." His wings drooped and he whined. 

His spike suddenly jutted out from its housing, nudging against Megatron's face before twitching a few times. A large glob of lubricant gathered at the top before seeping down the side. The valve rippled again, calling for him and his spike, and the utter look of need on Starscream’s face was giving it away that he was soon going to beg to be fragged against the couch.

There was a sense of familiarity with this. A sense of comfort. Megatron spared the spike a slowly lick as he pulled away, making a show of wiping his mouth off with the back of his hand. “My second looks so needy.” he found himself slipping into a role-play of sorts. Though instead of being someone he never was, he was being someone he used to be.

“Onto your knees. Make a show of it. And then beg for my spike. Give me a reason to frag a little traitor like you.” the former decepticon stood, his own panel snapping back and his spike springing free. He took it in his had, pumping slowly. He smiled as Starscream did as he ordered, looking at him from over his shoulder.

It reminded him of that time on the asteroid. When he had found the Decepticons in shambles. Him in a new body, Starscream emotionally broken and covered in rust. The look he held on his face now was far more pleasant.

And Starscream wasn’t going to get his face smashed into a rock this time, though he was going to get a good ‘pounding’.

Bending over, Starscream lifted his aft in Megatron's direction, wiggling it back and forth. His engines purred, delighted his master was taking an interest. 

"Like what you see?" He reached between his legs and spread himself for Megatron to see. "It's all yours you disgusting pervert." He slide his servos in and out of the valve lips, coating them in an ample amount of lubricants before dimming his middle servo in. "Only yours." He groaned, pumping his own servo quickly before adding a second.

He gasped into the cushions, his free hand clenching into a fist as his valve clamped around his own servos. Lubricant gushed out and trailed down his inner thighs, only making himself look more and more needy by the second. His wings flexed and he gasped as he dug his servos in deeper, rubbing in places he rather enjoyed. "Does Lord Megatron want his spike in my valve?" He removed his servos slowly, letting the lubricant trail follow his hand all the way down. He winked over his shoulder at him.

Megatron lifted a ped onto the couch, growling. Starscream was always so sure his body was perfect. And frankly it was. “Yes. Oh yes my beautiful cowardly traitorous seeker. Thats what I want.” he swatted Starscream’s hand away, pressing the spike head to the leaking valve. His hands grabbed onto the seeker’s wings, and yanked him back.

His engines roared, his servos leaving dents in the thin metal. The valve was convulsing around him. Starscream really had needed him. He began thrusting quickly, using all the force he could muster, using the seeker’s wings as leverage.

“How is this my little fool? Does my spike satisfy you?” Megatron removed a hand from Starscream’s wings, reaching down and grabbing his spike in a hard grip. He began to pump it in long and twisting strokes. “Do the hands of Lord Megatron please you too?”

Starscream howled into the cushions, his optics blazing red as stars danced in his vision. He arched, overloading hard onto the floor. His spike spilling a generous amount of fluids on Megatron's hand and onto the floor.

He couldn't find words, every time he tried to speak static erupted from his vocalizer. He glanced over his shoulder, his whole frame bouncing with each hard thrust Megatron giving him. His valve squeezed around Megatron, doing the talking for him. The ripples from overload milked the spike inside of him, pulling him in deeper and deeper. "M-Mega-ah!" Wings shooting up, he bit into his own hand, drawing energon as his optics rolled into the back of his head. 

He rocked with Megatron, slamming himself back onto his spike until their hip plates slammed hard enough to draw sparks now and again. Starscream's lubricants splashed out, coating himself and Megatron's legs every time he pulled out. A second Overload struck him and he screamed, sobbing into his hand.

Megatron didn’t stop. He wanted to overload as soon as possible, he wanted to give his little seeker what he wanted. He fragged Starscream into the couch cushions, growling ferally as the valve rippled around him. 

“Thats it. Overload all you want. I’ll give you the trine you so desire. I promise.” he panted into the seeker’s audio. The hand still on the wing clenched, crumpling the metal. He smiled at the wail Starscream made, his hips slamming back onto his spike. “I see you still like it when I play rough with your wings.”

Megatron yanked Starscream to his knees, allowing the former decepticon to viciously pound into the seeker’s ceiling node. He kissed the seeker’s neck, biting any cables he could get to. With a few more hard thrusts Megatron overloaded, sinking his denta deep into a minor energon line.

“Satisfied now little one?”

Starscream put his head back on Megatron's shoulder, his mouth open in a silent gasp as he overloaded a third time. That lovely fluid filling his valve and sending a shiver up his spine. It warmed his frame, making his damaged wing quiver before he fell limp.

He tried to catch his breath, his fans whirling as hard as they could. His valve quivering, taking in all the fluid Megatron had pumped into him before he smiled. "Oh yes my lord, very." His whole frame fell slack and he had a hard time keeping himself up right. "You never disappoint."

Megatron slowly pulled out, gently setting Starscream down onto the couch. He winced at the damage he did to the wing, feeling guilty. He would need someone to come in and repair it. He leaned down, kissing it softly. “Sorry. Got carried away.”

He sat down next to the seeker, his hand resting over his abdomen. He smiled, rubbing gently. His sparkling was in there. His. And this time it wasn’t going to get hurt. He would do what ever it took to make sure of that. “We’ll do the merge tonight in the berth.”

Sleepily looking up at Megatron, Starscream smiled and shrugged.

"No need to apologize master..." He placed his head on Megatron's lap, dimming his optics till they were barely online. "I enjoyed every second of it. I should be able to repair it on my own. I have gotten pretty good at it having spent all this time to myself." He yawned, his fans finally slowing down to a dull hum. He nodded at the suggestion. That would be the best time to do it. Soon he would have three little sparklings inside him.

He gave a soft smile as Megatron's hand grazed his stomach. He thought his first sparkling was going to be his last. Never did he think Megatron would follow through with another one. Never did he think he would even want to. Maybe some part of him had changed. Not much, but something inside of this old warlord had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter and then this story is over. I do have a sequel planned, but it may take a very long time to write.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Megatron and Starscream begin to settle into their new lives, Starscream goes into his emergence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for this chapter is for depiction's of birth.
> 
> Also its the last chapter so that can be a bit of a downer.

The last months had been shockingly blissful. Starscream was a rather... Tolerable mech to have around when he wasn’t planning on stabbing you in the back, even as he got further and further along in his sparking. Megatron knew it would not last much longer, however. Sparklings were stressful to raise.

He was willing to let Megatron listen in on his meetings. Mostly about the colonies these days, though once and a while, the Decepticons came up. Galvatron, the mech who had so ruthlessly ripped him in half, was now leading them, though apparently peace was their intention. He could only hope that was true.

He had also been introduced to the two bots from Caminus. Chromia and Windblade.

Megatron had been under the impression that the Windblade ‘femme’ was a utter wretch. But when he finally met and spoke with her, he found she was a far better bot then what was let on. She believed in doing the right thing. Truth and duty came first to her. Both were amicable things.

Maybe Starscream was intimidated by her. She was certainly very eye catching and Starscream was as vain as could be. Her deep desire for the truth countered his horrible habit of lying. Megatron would never say that his mate was intimidated though. Or else he would certainly be dead.

In the mean time, Megatron awaited what he once would have called his heirs. It had been confirmed the additional merge had generated two more sparks. So just like Starscream wanted, they would have a trine.

The former Decepticon hummed softly, his servo’s nimbly pressing along his Seeker’s spinal strut, easing the back pains that tormented Starscream in his last month. His once very narrow and slim waste had filled out, body transforming partially to make room for the growing sparklings. He finished the massage with a pat on the seeker’s red aft, chucking as he made a soft scoffing sound. “Feel better now, little one?”

"A bit." Starscream let out a soft whine, his wings twitching a bit. Due to his bodies new curve, they jutted out from his back more than usual, causing him constant back pain and some rechargless nights. "They grow heavier and heavier each day." 

Starscream had calmed down oddly enough while he carried. His normal quick temper died down and he was much more quiet. Though he had a terrible habit of waking up in the middle of the night and eating every bit of Energon there was, not to mention his cravings for fine energon candies. Luckily Rattrap was kind enough to sneak him some from time to time while Megatron was out. 

Rolling onto his side, Starscream rubbed his stomach. "I didn't think not being able to transform and fly would be so bad, but I ache for the skies." He glanced out the window a moments before sitting himself up and snuggling close to Megatron. "Not much longer now and they will be here. I can feel them shifting all the time." Resting his head on Megatron's shoulder, he let out a soft vent of air.

“You will fly again soon, Starscream.” Megatron enforced, his hands moving to the seeker’s wings, rubbing them soothingly, ‘I’m very proud that you have held back on your urges to fly.” He was certain that if this was the past, when his seeker had been impulsive and foolish, that he would have gone flying. But Starscream had matured a good deal and was responsible.

He kissed the tip of Starscream’s nose before gently moving him off his lap. “I’ll get you some energon. You’re probably getting hungry again.” Megatron got up with a grunt, taking some energon cubes in hand. He drank a few before he went back, least his share be devoured by the bottomless pit that ruled Cybertron.

“Here you are my dear.” Megatron set the enriched energon on the table, petting the back of Starscream’s head as he sat back down. He sighed, leaning into the cushions and watching the seeker drink greedily. He smirked. “Some lord you are. I bet you devour all the energon on the planet. Leaving none for your subjects.”

"I have three tanks to feed, not including my own you old pile of scrap. Seekers are usually the most fuel hungry when they carry. It's not just me." He pouted, though it was true, left alone he probably would drink himself till he popped. "Besides, the cravings have died down now. I don't drink as much as I had in the first few months..." He finished the first cube and worked on the second. 

Setting the second empty cube down after a moment, he leaned back against Megatron. "Hehe... teaching these sparklings to fly will be a treat indeed, and it will be even more of a treat when they are flying around this room." He laughed at the thought. "Good thing this complex is built for my kind." His tank turned and he winced a bit. "Unh...stop moving in there!" Pressing a hand to the flexed metal, he relaxed a bit.

"As I get closer I grow more nervous. I have never...finished a birth before." He cleared his intake, though Starscream was no stranger to pain it was still nerve wracking for him. "I visited Ratchet a little while ago and he told me about the others. He also said he would turn his audio off for my birthing... I'm not that loud am I?" 

“You are impossibly loud. Your forgers gave you your name for a reason.” Megatron confirmed, looking over his shoulder as Rattrap strolled in with some datapads, “Is Starscream loud, Rattrap?”

“Some nights he keeps me up with his screechin.” The little mech said, setting the datapads on the table, “Ya both do.” The rat laughed as Starscream gave a loud snarl, his tail twitching side to side as he left the room quickly to avoid any items that could be tossed at him.

Megatron nodded, turning back to Starscream and resting his hand on the swell. Starscream’s exposed protoform was flexing from time to time under his fingers... Odd. “I think my fuel pump may give out when that time comes. Be sure to fill me in when you are ready to toss them off the balcony. I may think you are trying to murder them.” He had read up a little bit on the customs of jet formers. Something he had not bothered learning even when he had been one. First flights usually involved tossing the child off a high place.

Starscream glared at Rattrap as he left, though he was quick to look through the datapads, hoping he had secretly left him some Energon goodies. Though none showed up and he let his wings quiver in frustration.

"Okay so I'm loud...whatever..." He turned to his side, resting his head against Megatron's shoulder. "Their seeker coding will activate and they will fly, no worries. If not I will catch them. I do not plan on killing my trine. I cannot wait to see who they take after the most." He blushed slightly at the thought. "Our sparklings..." He whispered, lacing his servos with Megatron's. "They should be here in a few days, a week at most." His vents sputtered, his fans whirling slowly. "I hope you are ready, Master."

Megatron nodded, looking at Starscream’s slender hands. “I am ready. I don’t have a scrap of an idea on what to do, but I am ready.” He leaned down, kissing each of Starscream’s servos, “Thank you my little traitor. Thank you for giving me this chance.”

His kissed slowly trailed up Starscream’s forearm, to his shoulders, and finally his neck. He smiled against the cables, pulling the seeker into a tight embrace. He rested his chin on top of the dark grey head, sighing.

Megatron smiled “Our sparklings. And many more will come if you want it. Little seekers and little tanks.” He pulled Starscream onto his lap, rubbing his slim thighs absentmindedly, “I will give you everything you could want. Even if I no longer have much to offer.”

“I have everything I could ever want. I have you, I have power, and soon I will have my sparklings.” Now it was all a matter of waiting for the Sparklings to make their way down and out into the world. No doubt they would have their hands full, but they would both be ready. Starscream had often gushed to Rattrap about how he was going to teach them science. They would be strong and smart and one day rule after him.

Starscream dimmed his optics, letting out a soft purr before slipping into a light recharge, These days he only seemed to get some sleep when he leaned against Megatron, laying on the berth hurt his wings now, but this was perfect. Megatron had even been sweet enough on some days to sit for hours with him in his lap just so he could recharge.

Megatron settled into the couch, not having the heart to move the seeker from his lap. It was quite late already. He would be here for the rest of the night. He took a few pillows and set them behind his head, getting comfortable so he could also recharge for a while.

He shuttered his optics, taking a deep vent as he got himself to power down. He was very good at sleeping in uncomfortable positions so he had no trouble going into a deep recharge.

Starscream recharged well for most of the night before the early morning came and he groaned. His tank churned painfully again, and he shifted in Megatron’s lap, desperate to get comfortable. Another painful churn of his tank and he onlined his optics. Each churn came within a few minutes of one another and became more and more painful as time went by.

"Mega-" He leaned forwards and a hot burst of liquid splashed from his valve cover, all over himself and Megatron's lap. His face turned a dark red and he couldn't help the startled shriek that escaped his vocalizer. It was not his tank that was hurting, but his chamber. "Megatron! They...." Starscream stood up, feeling dizzy and bracing himself on the sofa's arm rest. "They're coming, Master!" His frame started to shake, and he was panting hard now. Fans whirling at high speed, he whined as another painful contraction had him nearly sobbing.

Megatron jolted awake at Starscream’s shrieking, lifting his right arm to activate his no long existing fusion canon. It was an old habit he had not quite gotten out of yet. He blinked a few times, processor still hazy. “Coming... What is coming? The Autobots...?”

He finally recalled that he was not on the Nemesis, or at any of the Decepticon bases. He was in Iacon. In Starscream’s tower, and Starscream was doubled over in pain. The words finally registered and he was up too, quickly sending some pings to Ratchet. Hopefully it was not too early for the medic.

“Lets get you to the berth, or would you rather do it crouching?” Megatron ask, taking Starscream’s arms and holding him gently, He sent a ping to Rattrap as well so he could gather some things Ratchet no doubt needed. Starscream had insisted early on he would do the emergence in his tower.

Starscream held onto Megaton with a death grip. he bared his denta and choked on a few sobs. 

"I...ah- what is better?" He wasn't sure if laying on his back would be good for his wings, but he wasn't sure how crouching would be help him either. "Just take me to the berth, Please master." He begged, his fans sputtering as another contraction. "Nng!" Clutching his stomach, he pressed into Megatron. "Hurry! Tell Ratchet to hurry!" Coolant streamed down his face as he felt his little sparklings shift inside of him.

“Crouching is normally better. It’s what the pit whores would do. Made everything go smoothly. It would be easier on your wings also.” Megatron led Starscream to the berth, helping him climb on and crouch. He slipped behind his seeker, kissing his cheek softly, “I won’t leave your side, I promise.”

Rattrap skittered into the room, bleached cloth clutched in his hands. He nearly tripped over himself, staggering as he set the synthetic fabric on Starscream nearby desk. “Here ya are, Megatron sir.” the rat wrung his hands, avoiding looking at his Lord, “Should I.. Uh... Get out or?”

“Yes. Get out.” Megatron snapped, “Contact Windblade and tell her that Starscream will be spending at least a month away from his duties as leader of Cybertron. She can take over in the mean time.” He looked at Starscream, scowling. “And no complaining about that.”

As Rattrap left, Ratchet entered. The medic let out a long sigh. He had honestly been regretting this moment. The last thing he wanted was to listen to the Seeker screech and whine. But this was his damned job. He clapped his hands. “Alright, Starscream, how close together are your contractions?”

Starscream scoffed at the mention of Windblade, but he wasn't in the best position to argue. He just slowly nodded and whimpered from time to time and squeezed Megatron's hands. As Ratchet walked around to his side of the berth, he looked at him with pained optics. 

"Pretty close. Every minute or so-Nng!" He arched, liquids streaming down his inner thighs. "Can we- haa... hurry this up?" Starscream's vocalizer cracked, one optic squinting as he felt his trine shift in his chamber again. "AH!" His legs started to shake, and his wings dipped down. "They are not going to wait." 

Starscream, already having a high pain tolerance due to being under Megatons care for thousands of years, was holding on pretty well. Though that always changed when they started to push. Ratchet knew that very well.

“That close? How long have you been in pain?” He was probably already in active emergence. Probably even slept trough the first stage. “Alright then kid, open up your panel and every time they start up I want you to push.”

Despite what he had said those months ago, Ratchet had no intention of shutting off his audio. It was counter productive and would hamper his ability to answer questions. He grabbed fabric Rattrap left, pulling up a chair and sitting down before the pair.

“Hold on little one. Soon we will have our trine in our arms.” Megatron cooed, squeezing Starscream’s hands. Such a marvelous threshold for pain his seeker had. He quickly tried to distract the seeker from his pain. “Hmm, You thought of more names?”

Panel snapping back, a large burst of liquid came down and Starscream shivered and blushed in embarrassment. Doing as Ratchet said, he pushed, and instantly he wailed, his back arching against Megatron’s chest. 

"Ah-AH!" His wings shot up and he sobbed out, a death grip on Megatron's hands now. Normally the head seeker would always be first, and usually the largest. "P-Primus it hurts." His knees felt like buckling, but Megatron kept him balanced. He pushed again, optics offlining and he bared his denta at Ratchet. 

"N-Names?" Coolant was soaking Starscream's entire frame, unable to keep himself focused as he had to stop and catch his break. "I-I haven’t though abou-NNG!" He gave another shrill shriek that made even his own audio ring and he felt a terrible pain. It was going so fast. He could feel them moving already. “You fragging piece of scrap, I will poison your energon for making me feel this!”

“Yes. Names. We already know what we are going to name the first born, remember?” Megatron ignored the death threat, lifting the hand that was currently denting his and kissing it softly. “Sunhawk for the first one. What about the others my sweet fool? Should we wait to see them first?”

Ratchet offlined his optics, shivering slightly. As the human saying went, it was like ‘nails down a chalkboard’. How in the pits did Megatron deal with this? He would never ever complain about Silverdrive’s crying again. “You’re doing very good, Starscream. Should be about three more pushes and the first one will crown.” Despite the ringing in his audio’s he was rather... Touched by Megatron’s tenderness. Optimus would be shocked, surly.

Starscream nodded and kept pushing. He growled through his denta and pushed back against Megatron and panted hard. "Yes, master.... Lets wait till they are all here. I want to hold them....Nng! See them before we name them." Wings snapping back, he yelped as the first one pushed downwards quickly and nearly slipped right out into Ratchet’s hands. He gasped, his intakes heaving in air as he tried to collect himself. He held out an arm, biting his lip.

"P-Please hurry and let me see him!" He sobbed to himself, optics burning brightly.

“Alright, here we are, first one out. Nice and red too.” Ratchet gave the seeker a quick look over before straitening out the still very soft metal on his wings. A necessary action for newborn seekers. It earned him loud screeching. He stood and put it in Starscream’s arms, “Don’t squeeze the life out of him now.”

Megatron’s fuel pump seised up, his optics wide. There they were. His first born. Though not his first sparkling, as he had sired a few with the pit whores back on Kaon, it was the first one that he would ever raise. That he actually cared about. “There he is, my little fool. Sunhawk. He’s perfect.”

Ratchet gave a quick examination of Starscream, doing a scan. His built in scanners were not as powerful as those back in the clinic, but they showed him the second was going to come out facing the right way. “Second one is pretty big, so it may hurt more.”

Starscream nuzzled the peeping sparkling and let out a soft purr. He kissed him all over and leaned back a bit. "I have to lay down, I cannot hold him like this." Disregarding his own wings, he pushed Megatron back against the berth so he was now sitting between the large silver legs. He felt terrible pain from having to readjust himself but he managed and started to push again.

Like Ratchet had said, the pain increased and he wailed and twisted a bit, but his grip on the sparkling never changed and he kept it safe against his chest. He curled his legs up a bit, trying to get comfortable but he couldn't escape the terrible waves of pain.

"Ah! AH-Ow!" He screamed, throwing his head back as the next seeker pushed down, its large form stretching him to his limits. "It hurts....I can't....I can't do this one." Starscream sobbed hard, choking on his words and having to stop pushing. "I can't do it....It hurts..." Frame trembling, he was already exhausted. "Master, I can't."

Before Ratchet could say anything supportive Megatron’s comforting demeanor dissolved into what Ratchet could only describe as “Lord Megatron”.

“You can and you will.” Megatron hissed, taking Starscream’s chin in his hand and making him look at him from over his shoulder, “You were the second in command of the decepticons. You were my Air Commander. You survived every trouncing I ever gave you.”

Megatron scowled down at the seeker, optics narrowed. “Now are you some weak and pathetic coward, or are you the Lord of Cybertron?” the hand moved from Starscream’s chin to the swell of his abdomen, rubbing gently, “Push. Push now.”

Starscream listened and whimpered, nodding and returning to his pushing. He wailed, pushing as hard as he could, it felt like it was stuck, but after a few more pushes he felt it dislodge.

Starscream screeched as the sparkling fell into Ratchets hands. Kicking and screaming, it wailed, resembling a high pitched noise Starscream himself often made. 

Starscream fell back against Megatron, optics offline, he heaved in air through his still sputtering vents. His valve ached terribly and he dreaded emerging the last one. Starscream pulled up the sparkling in his arms after Ratchet straightened its wings and nuzzled it, sobbing into its little belly as he pushed again with the next wave of contractions. "Help me! Master, I don’t like this pain!" He started to wheeze, his body overheating with the effort. Delivering a trine was no easy task for any seeker, and most passed out once they were done. 

“You’re not going to need any help with the last one kid. My scans show its pretty small. Should be out in only a few pushes.” Ratchet assured, looking over his shoulder at the door. “If the rat is still out there get me some chilled energon! Hurry up!”

Rattrap came running in with the energon a few moments later, giving it to Ratchet and glancing at Starscream a moment before rubbing the back of his neck and scurrying out. Ratchet handed it to Megatron. “Feed this to him really quick.”

Megatron quickly went back to a more comforting and tender persona, petting his second son’s head. “ You hear that? Just the little runt left, my pet. Then we may hold all our little ones close.” he kissed Starscream’s shoulder, his hand massaging the taunt abdomen. He took the cube and hand Starscream drink, the seeker moaning at him in appreciation.

“Thats it, here is the last one.” Ratchet said, carefully taking the head into his hands and puling. The moment the sparkling was free it screeched, the helm unfolding into a rather impressive crest. He didn’t have the faintest clue who that came from, though when he looked up he noted how Megatron stared at it as if in a trance. He straightened the wings like he had done to the others. “The last one. Rather impressive for a runt.”

“Yes, he takes after me.” Megatron said softly, smiling as Ratchet set the last of their trine onto Starscream’s chassis. “There they are. All three of them.”

Starscream sank on the berth, exhausted. His optics dimmed on and offline several times, trying to fight off fainting. Cradling the sparklings close, he nuzzled each and every one of them and smiled. His smile wobbled suddenly, and he sobbed into them quietly. 

"Finally." Resting his head back on Megatron's shoulder, he sniffled. "Look, master..." Starscream weakly pulled up his arms, showing him the trine who were all whining and squirming a bit. "I love them." He exhaled a hot vent of air against Megatron that he had been holding in. His optics dimmed again and he struggled to not slip offline.

Megatron hushed Starscream gently, carefully slipping out from behind the seeker and laying him back onto the pillows. “Recharge my pet. You deserve the rest. I will watch them.”

Starscream nodded and was soon out cold on the berth, his chest slowly rising and falling of his frame slowly started its transformation back to his original size, which would take a day or two. He would still be grounded for the next month to take care of the sparklings but having already seen how much he loved them, Megatron knew that wouldn't be a problem.

One by one Megatron took each little seeker into his arms, the newly emerged sparklings were so tiny he could hold all three easily in both his hands. So much smaller then he expected, though the solid silver one was rather impressive compared to his siblings.

He turned to Ratchet. “Do I get to clean them off?” he asked hopefully.

Ratchet nodded at him and set some special towels down for him to use when he was done. "You can if you like. Normally that would be something I would have First Aid do but since it's just me here, you are welcome to do it." Ratchet moved close to him, pointing to their wings. "These are extremely sensitive. I am sure you already knew that." He stepped back. "Be careful with them, they are durable, but still easily bent if not handled with care." Going to the door, Ratchet looked back at them. "You know where to find me if anything happens. Please Bring them to the clinic when they are able to craw so I can check on them." With that Ratchet left them alone.

The little sparklings whined and the smallest one yawned. It's little red optics looking up at Megatron and reaching for him. Its little wings quivered and it screeched, causing the other two to screech as well.

Megatron scooped up the towels, taking the little sparklings to the sink and filling it with hot water and a few bathing solvents. One by one he carefully cleaned them, examining each of their frames carefully for any damage. He rubbed their heads and bellies, chuckling as they screeched and made various other bits of ruckus.

“You three have been a long time incoming.” Megatron said, drying them off once they were all clean. he took the last clean cloth and soaking it in fresh water, intending to use it to wipe Starscream down.

He returned, oh so carefully wiping Starscream off and removing the dirtied sheets. Once finished he laid each of their sparklings out, getting some bottles of energon for them. “Are you hungry little ones? Sunhawk?” he carefully held the bottle of warmed energon to his first born’s mouth, hoping he would take it.

Sunhawk whined a bit, but after a while of fussing he latched on and suckled quietly. He purred as he drank, his little optics dimming until they were offline. 

Starscream shifted on the fresh berth, a groan of pain escaping him before he opened his optics and watched Megatron. A small smile crossed his still tired face and he let out a soft laugh. 

"Who knew you could be careful..." He said in a hoarse tone, his vocalizer sore. "Come, lay with me." Patting the berth, he slowly rolled onto his side and snuggled into the pillows. "I want to hold my sparklings and their Sire." His carrier coding blinked at him, begging him to hold his sparklings and he was trying his best to keep from shouting for them. "Come, come."

Megatron hushed Starscream, resting a hand on his hip. “Let me feed them first. Then you can hold them all you want.” the former Decepticon carefully picked Sunhawk up, handing him to his lover, “Hold him for now. In the mean time, think of names for the others.”

Megatron took another bottle, holding it for his largest sparkling, chuckling as he latched on quickly, little hands flexing as he suckled. “Well you’re certainly greedy like your carrier.” He pressed the back of his hand to the sparkling’s cheek, “You only get one bottle for now.”

“I’m not greedy.” Starscream glared at him as he rocked Sunhawk, cooing to him and pressing his servos down on his little belly and rubbing. He was adorable, and Starscream leaned down and kissed the smooth metal, letting Sunhawk grab at his head. 

"My lovely trine..." He whispered, letting Sunhawk chew on the end of his servo. "My first trine. The most special out of them all." He blushed a bit, letting out a small laugh as he cuddled his eldest. This was probably the happiest Starscream could ever seen at any single moment. 

"The smallest can be called Soundstream." He leaned back into the pillows, his wings finally having the room to flex. "You can name the other one if you like." Rocking Sunhawk, he watched Megatron for a long time, unable to look away as he watched him feeding. Would he be like this for their next trine...would he even want another trine?

“Then this one will be Jetwire.” Megatron declared, laughing as he gently picked the large seekerling up and handing him to his carrier. “I think he will be a bit of a brute. He looks it.” He turned his attention to the newly dubbed Soundstream, smiling softly.

“And this one... I see very good things for this little one.” He fed the blue colored sparkling next, admiring his currently folded crest, “You see whats on his head, Starscream? That came from me.” he ever so carefully picked Soundstream up, supporting his head. Megatron leaned over Starscream. “My helmet. Take it off. I have never shown you this.”

Starscream stared at the sparkling in his hands for a long moment then at Megatron. He readjusted himself so he could remove Megatron's helmet and when he did he just tilted his head in confusion.

"So...what is it exactly?" Starscream noticed mounts all along Megatron's head. No doubt they moved on command. Much like his wings. "And Soundstream has them? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?" Setting the helmet down, Starscream returned to rocking his sparklings until they fell into recharge and suckled on his amour quietly. 

“They helped me in the mines sensing air pressure and the rocks above me.” Megatron said, letting the panels unfold to reveal his crest, which still had old flecks of yellow paint on them. He leaned back against Starscream, humming. “They are very sensitive to touch. I wear the helmet to keep me from feeling like I am in a space of nothing. His seeker coding is probably helping him cope with how open the room is. Still, I would like to get them covered as soon as possible.”

Megatron ran his servo’s over Soundstream’s helm, the sparkling giving a soft shiver and a gurgled purr. The crest unfurled and Megatron smirked. “He almost looks like royalty with that... Then again, I suppose he is.”

"Its a bit creepy..." Starscream mummbled as he rubbed the little panels. "No offense..." He smirked at Megatron before reaching up to touch his. "Does it feel good when they are touched? Or are they too sensitive?" He asked, ghosting his servos over the pedals and looking at the interesting markings on them. 

"Or are they like my wings." No way to really protect them, but they were still a seekers most sensitive part on their frame, aside form their interface equipment. "Maybe I could play with them more...you know..." he smirked again, but his usually sly look was laced with obvious exhaustion. "I should be good as new in a few days." 

Megatron shuttered his optics, enjoying the soft touch. “They are like your wings.” he said softly. He scowled. “And they are not creepy. They are regal. Far more lordly then your collection of ridiculous crowns.”

The crest folded up again and Megatron rested his head on a pillow, Soundstream finally full and turning his nose up to the bottle. “I look forward to you touching them more, but it may be longer then a few days. We have a new job and it involves taking care of these little pit spawn. every moment of everyday.” At least it wouldn’t be as messy as human ‘babies’.

Starscream continued to stroke the crest even after Megatron laid by his side. "I know." He sighed softly, smiling down at his sparklings and Megatron. "I cannot wait. There is so much to teach them in the coming years. Science even. That will be my favorite." Fingering Soundstream’s crest, he nuzzled him then sank down on the berth.

He took Soundstream from Megatron, all three sparklings now between them, Starscream curled around them and kissed Megatron's cheek. "Here is to a new Cybertron."

Megatron chuckled, kissing Starscream back. After a moment of contemplation he spoke. “Here is to your Republic, my little fool.” He rested his hand on Starscream’s chest, shuttering his optics, a content smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! I may do a sequel, if i can finish writing it and get my ideas out. We will see. I hope you enjoyed this!


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